Heian Conglin
by brown phantom
Summary: All Ranma wanted to do was stop being afraid of cats. But he discovered something new to fear. Can he and Shampoo handle the danger they unwittingly unleashed upon themselves and others? Let the game begin.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own Ranma 1/2. I merely write fanfic for it, and this is my first attempt at a recently liked pairing of mine, RanSham._

_This takes place right after the first Mao Mo Lin arc. I don't intend to bash or villainize any characters, but that's not to say bad things will never be said or done. There are only two saints in Ranma 1/2 after all in my opinion, Kasumi and Akari._

* * *

Chapter 1

"Is something wrong Shampoo?" Cologne asked, seeing her great-granddaughter sitting in her room looking out the window listlessly.

"No Great-grandmother." Shampoo replied, clearly a lie.

"Now dear, what have I told you about lying to me?" The elder Amazon asked.

Shampoo sighed, seeing no way out of this now. "I worry about last thing done. Shampoo bring giant cat to Airen without realize it. He must hate me now."

"I don't think he hates you, but I do suppose he's a bit cross. Have you explained that you didn't know those bells came with a giant ghost cat?"

Shampoo nodded. "I did, but no think he accept so well."

"Well, Son-in-law is a man of actions and not words, so maybe you should show him your apologies instead of tell him."

The purple-haired teenager perked up. "That great idea. But how?"

"Why not ask him how?"

"Afraid he ask me leave him for good."

Cologne thought about that. "Yes there is that risk. But she who doesn't risk won't gain. Go try something, because sitting here moping is not your style."

Shampoo nodded and got on her feet. "Right Great-grandmother."

* * *

Elsewhere in Nerima, Ranma was out on his own trying to clear his head, sitting on a bench in a park.

'I sure could use these quiet times. After dealing with that old pervert's moxibustion crap and then that c-c-cat last night, I really need a break. Maybe I should go on a camping trip somewhere private just to unwind a bit. If only I could actually get away from anyone.'

As if to prove to him he indeed couldn't get away from anyone for long, Fate made someone come to him.

"Nihao Airen." Shampoo said as she walked up to him.

Ranma was immediately on guard. "Whatcha want Shampoo?" He did notice she wasn't on her bike and her greeting sounded more melancholy than joyful, but he was still on guard for anything she might do.

"Shampoo want make amends after ghost cat thing. Not know bell came with spirit. Shampoo very very sorry." She spoke standing in front of him, hands clasped in front of herself never making an effort to restrain him or sit beside him.

"That's okay Shampoo. I know you wouldn't do something like that on purpose. If you wanted to scare me you'd just get yourself wet after all."

At his words the Chinese girl looked a bit more sad. "Airen, do you hate Shampoo?"

"What?" Ranma asked, not expecting that question. "Why would you ask that?"

"Because Shampoo make mistakes. Because Shampoo become thing Airen most hate. Because Shampoo try kill Airen not too too long ago. And because Airen barely look at Shampoo without my displays." Now she was crying a bit.

Ranma slowly stood up, hoping to get her to stop degrading herself. "I'm not like that."

"Name one time you be with Shampoo not to get something?" She countered, a hint of anger now in her voice.

Ranma opened his mouth to give her an answer, but his memory failed to provide him one. Even their sort-of-date came with an ulterior motive, to get the instant Nannichuan powder.

Taking his silence as an answer, Shampoo looked away. "See? Airen no want Shampoo around unless he use her."

"Well if that's how you see me then why are you still trying to get me to be with you?"

"Why you let Violent Girl keep hit you? Why no tell her stop?" She countered.

"I have but she doesn't listen."

"Then make listen."

Ranma shook his head. "Wait, we're not talking about Akane. We're talking about you."

Shampoo shook her head too. "No, we talk about you and Shampoo, not just Shampoo. Airen, why you no give Shampoo chance if no hate her?"

"I barely know you." He answered.

"Then why not learn? Why not try? Why only Violent Girl get chance? Why only her?" Even though Shampoo was afraid of his answer, she asked before she could stop herself.

The thing is Ranma didn't really have an answer. Not off the top of his head anyway. "I guess it's because I live with her. I'm kind of obligated to at least get along with her when we live together."

"So you no like her if you no live with her?" Shampoo asked.

"Hey, I like you and Ucchan in my own ways and I don't live with you two." He defended.

"Own ways?" Shampoo repeated, confused on his meaning.

"Look Shampoo, I'm not ready to get married or anything. So I don't think of any of you girls that way. Not even Akane."

"Then prove it." Shampoo said. "Live away from her."

"What?" He asked.

"If Violent Girl really no favorite to you, then live away. You say she get special treatment because you live there, so if you no live there you treat her like normal then. Right?"

The logic of her claim was quite solid, but there was one argument Ranma could bring up. "I can't just leave. Pops would never allow it. And even if he did, where would I go?"

"You can live in Nekohanten if ask." Shampoo offered.

Ranma shook his head. "So you want me to leave them and come to you? Sounds like you're trying to trap me into marriage again."

Shampoo sighed. "All Shampoo want is make Airen happy. Came here to apologize, not argue. If Airen want something from Shampoo just ask. Shampoo owe you after cat bell. And Shampoo keep promise. Airen ask Shampoo for something, and Shampoo give it."

"Umm... thanks, I'll keep that in mind." He said.

Shampoo then started to walk away, but a few steps away she turned to face him again. "Airen, at least try to learn about Shampoo before you say no to chance with me." She then walked off, him not responding.

* * *

The rest of the day Ranma couldn't get Shampoo's words off his mind, even when he lay on the roof that night.

'She said she owes me a favor, and she didn't seem to put any stipulations on what I can ask. I could probably get her to drop the whole Kiss of Marriage thing.' He scoffed at the idea. 'No, she'd never agree to that. Besides, that feels like a coward's way of getting out of a mess.'

His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden attack from Genma. Ranma wasn't able to block or avoid the kick and thus got sent into the koi pond. He of course emerged as a she. "Whatcha do that for?"

"You've gotten soft. That cat got you cowardly and frail boy. You need to get back in shape." Genma said when he came down.

Ranma jumped out of the water but Genma was prepared for this and blocked. "My form's just fine when there's no cat in my face."

"And that's your problem." Genma said before giving a punch that Ranma blocked. "As long as you're afraid of cats, you'll be weak."

"And whose fault is it I'm afraid in the first place?" Ranma shouted, landing a kick on her father, though the man landed on the other side of the Koi pond rather than in it.

"That's not my problem. It's yours for not doing anything about it." He said.

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm just supposed to do something about my-" She cut off when an idea came to her.

Seeing an opportunity here, Genma tried to finish his son-turned-daughter off, but the aquatransexual jumped away and outside the Tendo estate, heading somewhere specific.

* * *

"Damn onions." Shampoo said to herself as she wiped her red eyes. She was doing some late minute food prep for the next day and as usual the onions didn't agree with her.

She then heard a knock at the door. "Customer now?" She looked at the clock and saw it was past closing time. Wiping her hands she went to the door ready to tell the visitor they were closed for the night.

She was quite surprised to see it was girl-type Ranma standing there. "Airen? You come?"

Ranma immediately saw signs of crying. "Shampoo, are you still crying about what I said earlier?"

'He think Shampoo sad, not chop onions.' Shampoo thought, seeing an angle to work here. "A little. Hard not to when Airen say he no care."

"I didn't say that. I do like you Shampoo, just not that way."

"Yeah, not enough to do anything with Shampoo." She said with a sniffle.

Ranma mentally groaned. "Look, I came here because I wanted to ask the Old Ghoul a question."

Shampoo pointed accusingly at Ranma. "You prove me right. You no want anything do with us unless use us. Why we help then?"

"Didn't you say you owe me a favor?" She asked.

Up until now, she had just been acting, but now Shampoo was a bit upset for real. "Airen, you even know why Shampoo promise favor?"

"Because you felt guilty about making me face that big cat." She answered.

"Yes, but Shampoo no _have_ to promise favor. Why I want do that?" She added.

"I don't know. I can't read minds."

"Shampoo do it because want Airen like her, not fear or hate her."

"I don't hate you. I do fear you when you change, and that's kind of why I'm here." The redhead said.

Shampoo tilted her head lightly in confusion. "What Airen mean?"

"I'm a strong person, but it's too easy to exploit my fear and I can't help how I react. Any one of my enemies could bring a cat to a fight and I couldn't do anything about it. And the Neko-ken is really dangerous and I hate becoming a cat more than I hate this curse." Ranma made a 'look at me' motion with her hands. "My favor request is for you and your grandmother to help me get over my fear of cats."

Shampoo perked up a bit at hearing. "Shampoo like idea, but why come to us?"

"If my old man knew how to do it he would have by now. Or at least I hope so. The Tendo's didn't even know about the Neko-ken until we told them about it so they wouldn't be much help. And the old freak admits he never learned how to help anyone in his life. You two are pretty much the best options I have."

"You make a good case Son-in-law." Cologne said, surprising the two by appearing out of nowhere. Both jumped back with wide eyes.

"How long have you been listening?" Ranma asked.

"The whole time. I heard you knock too, but Shampoo beat me to the door. You both were so wrapped up in each other you didn't notice me. I like to see that kind of interest between you two." She said with a teasing smile.

"It's not like that old Ghoul." Ranma stated, earning her a whack on the head from the old woman.

"Don't insult me if you want me to help you boy." She reprimanded her, but she said nothing. "Now, I do believe we can assist you in your request. I do have an idea how, but it will require something from you to do so." She raised her hand to silence the boy-turned-girl before she could object. "No I'm not saying marry Shampoo first. I'm saying to learn this; we may have to leave Nerima for a bit."

"Leave Nerima?" Ranma asked.

Cologne nodded. "There's a good chance you might relapse in the effort, so to minimize damage it would be best if you're out of the city. And we won't be able to do it for a day or two, to ensure the restaurant will be managed well in our absence."

Ranma nodded in understanding. "Sounds fair. Should I bring Akane too in case I go cat?"

Cologne shook her head. "No, that is a terrible idea."

"But-"

"No buts, Son-in-law." Cologne forcefully said. "Let me put it this way, Akane and Shampoo will be at each other's throats within a single day and that's counterproductive. Not only that, she loses all reason at even a hint of you being nice to Shampoo which will distract you from the training in order to correct her reoccurring anger. Besides, where is it written that she's the _only_ person who can calm your wild side down?"

"But she's the only one here who has." Ranma pointed out.

"And how many girls have been given the chance to do the same?" Cologne asked.

Ranma thought it over. In all her time in Nerima she had only gone neko three times. The first time she got out of it with the gender change, though Akane did help. The second and third times were all Akane making her feel relaxed enough to sleep. All times Akane was the only girl available Ranma would have felt a kinship for, but if what Cologne said was true, then maybe the cat in him wasn't too picky who petted it.

"You really want to risk that?" She asked.

Cologne nodded. "It's not like we wouldn't have water to use the other way. And besides, there may come times when you become a cat and she can't get to you. Wouldn't you like to know there are options besides just her in returning to normal?"

Ranma thought it over and nodded. "You have a good point. So... you want the three of us to go on a training trip?" Cologne nodded. "How do I tell the others?"

"Just tell them you're going for a training trip to overcome your fear of cats and you need to go without them. I can't imagine your father being of help. And if they refuse, remind them you're not asking for their permission."

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's going to be taken well."

"That's their problem, not yours."

"Well thanks guys. Just let me know when you're ready on your end." Ranma said, trying to wrap this up.

"I should warn you Son-in-law, that affecting the fear will affect the technique. You could possibly lose your Neko-ken entirely, or change it into something unpredictable. Are you willing to experience that?" Cologne told her.

"As long as I don't have to run away from a cat anymore, I'll be happy." The redhead told the elder Amazon.

"So be it. Now go get ready on your end. For all you know we'll come get you tomorrow."

Ranma nodded. "Alright, and thanks again you guys." She then walked off with a wave.

Shampoo waved back. "Great-grandmother, you think we can help Airen?"

"We'll certainly try dear. And while we're at it, we'll show him what he's been missing out on."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A few days later, Ranma and Akane went home after school and Akane was not in a good mood. But this time it was not Ranma's fault and even she didn't think otherwise.

"Welcome home." Kasumi greeted, but her sister just huffed and went into her room. "Is something wrong?" The eldest Tendo daughter asked Ranma when he came in.

"Sorta. She tried learning how to swim again, this time with the principal's help, and failed miserably."

"Now Ranma-"

"Kasumi, even with a child's inflatable ring she couldn't keep her head above the water. Look me in the eyes and tell me that's _not_ failing miserably." He told her.

Kasumi was just silent for a moment before responding. "You could at least say it nicer than that."

Ranma sighed. "It's pretty hard to say 'You failed' nicely. Especially to her."

Kasumi didn't refute him but didn't look like she particularly agreed either. "Anyway, you got a call from the Nekohanten earlier. They asked you to come see them when you had a chance. I didn't tell anyone else yet, but is there something going on we should be aware of?"

"No, not really. Shampoo just promised me a favor to make up for bringing that... that bell here and I asked her for some help with something I want to train in. That was probably her trying to tell me when she can."

Kasumi thought it over and saw no reason to disbelieve him. "Okay, you want to call them back?"

"It might be better if I go talk to them in person. They might have something to give or show me, and if not I still get a good walk out of it."

"Alright. Just try to be back before dinner please." She said, seeing no reason to argue with him.

He nodded. "No problem." Then he took off.

Ranma knew that the Nekohanten would have customers when he got there, that didn't surprise him. When he opened the door Shampoo was giving some customers their food and Cologne was running the register while other employees were working in the kitchen. Mousse couldn't be seen anywhere though, but to Ranma that wasn't a bad thing. He was still a little miffed at the myopic boy's behavior when he was weakened by Happosai's moxibustion no more than two weeks ago.

Shampoo immediately saw him and smiled. "Nihao Airen." She greeted, though she didn't actually approach him until the customers were completely served.

Cologne saw the pigtailed boy and grinned. "Ah, so good of you to join us Son-in-law. Your timing is great as Mousse is on a delivery, but he will be back soon so let's make this short."

"I assume you guys are ready on your end?" He asked.

"Yes, the restaurant will be in good hands, though Mousse has been told a false story to keep him from interfering." Cologne answered.

"I'm not surprised, but you know it's my hide he'll go after if he finds out."

Cologne ignored this though she did understand his sentiment. "Have you told the ones you need to?"

"I wanted to wait until I heard from you first."

"Well it would be best you do it tonight, because we'd like to get going right away."

Ranma nodded. 'While I'm not thrilled at going anywhere with her for long, I could definitely use the break from everything around here.' "How long will we be gone?"

"I think one week would not be too little. At least to start."

"A week?" Ranma repeated. 'She thinks she can cure my fear in one week?"

"Is that a problem?" The old woman asked.

Ranma shook his head. "No, a week is fine. But I'm not sure it's enough time."

"We'll know when we try Son-in-law. Now be on your way, and meet us at your school at 9PM tonight." Cologne told him.

Ranma nodded and turned to leave, but before he left he turned back to both Amazons. "Thanks you guys."

Shampoo was a bit surprised by that, but very glad he remembered to show gratitude.

* * *

Before he went home, Ranma had to make one stop.

"Hey Ranchan, glad you could show up."

"Hey Ucchan. I'd like a seafood okonomiyaki while I'm here."

The chef nodded and got to work. "Of course Ranchan."

"While I'm here there's something I wanted to tell you Ucchan." The pigtailed boy told his oldest friend.

For a moment fear seized Ukyo's heart. 'Is he dumping me?' She looked at him and was a bit settled by the normalcy of his expression, like he simply had news. "Like what Ranchan?" She asked, still a bit cautious but no longer afraid.

"I'm just going out of town for a while to handle a problem of mine."

"Looking for another cure for your curse?" She asked, eyes back on her cooking.

"No, I'm actually focusing on a different one." He clarified.

"Which one?" She asked, almost done with the okonomiyaki.

"My biggest weakness."

Ukyo looked back at Ranma. "Never thought you'd admit to having a weakness Ranchan."

"Sadly I do and I need to work on it. But I can't do it here."

Ukyo handed him his finished okonomiyaki, seasoned and sauced the way she knew he liked it. "I wish I could help, but right now is a bad time for me to leave the store."

"Thanks for the thought though." He told her before taking a bite of the treat.

"When are you leaving and for how long?" Ukyo added.

"Tonight and about a week."

"Well good luck Ranchan. Let me know if you succeed when you get back."

"Sure thing."

* * *

Ranma did indeed make it back home in time for dinner per Kasumi's request.

"Where were you?" was his greeting of course, but this time it didn't come from Akane. It came from Genma, though it still did sound a bit accusing.

"I was thinking something over." Ranma said as he sat down at the table to dish up.

"Like what?" Akane curiously asked.

Ranma knew mentioning the Amazons was a bad idea, so he fortunately figured out how to answer this without giving that away. "I'm tired of being terrified of c-cats and we know there's no way I'll never see another one. I could run into a stray at any time. So I've decided to do something about it."

"Like what Saotome?" Nabiki asked, skeptical and curious about his answer. "This isn't the kind of thing you can just beat up."

"Simple, I go find someone who knows more about the Neko-ken than Pops here. They might be able to help me out."

Everyone thought it over and found it to be a smart idea. Of course, they did have to clarify a few things.

"Where exactly do you plan to look for this someone boy?" Genma asked.

"I was hoping you'd tell me where you learned about it in the first place."

"I don't remember."

"Now why don't I believe you?"

"I said I don't remember boy." Genma insisted.

Ranma mentally sighed. "Then I'll have to start where we lived when you trained me in that."

"When do you plan on going?" Soun asked next.

"Tomorrow. I'll pack right after dinner."

"What?" Nabiki and Akane asked. "What about school tomorrow?"

"I think this is more important." He stated.

"No it's not." Akane countered.

Ranma was undaunted. "I've already gone neko three times since I've been here. And you know there are several people here who want to beat the crap out of me just for the fun of it. What if any of them bring a cat next time? Do you _want_ me to keep going neko? Well I don't!"

"You can't just ignore school." Akane insisted.

Again Ranma was undaunted. "I can't ignore _this_ either and of the two I'm more concerned about this."

"What kind of future do you think you'll have if you ignore school?"

"I've spent most of my life out of school and I've done just fine without it."

Akane scoffed. "Yeah right. This is why you're such a baka. You don't care about anything except martial arts."

Ranma frowned. "At least I _do_ care about it. You couldn't even beat that dojo destroyer without me showing up."

"RANMA YOU JERK!" Akane screamed before malleting him out of the house and somewhere far away.

Nabiki sighed at once again seeing the usual routine of foot-in-mouth followed by a game of Whack-A-Ranma. She then turned to her father. "Tell me again why you think these two make a good couple?"

"It's normal for a couple to have occasional fights." He said, brushing the recent argument off.

"Occasional? Try daily." The middle Tendo daughter said, only to get ignored.

* * *

Ranma came back later and scrounged up some leftovers to eat before going upstairs. 'Boy I'm looking forward to a week away from the mallets. I just hope Akane actually misses me while I'm gone. I know I'll miss her.' He saw a clock that said it was getting close to the time he was supposed to meet Cologne and knew he needed to hurry.

He went to his room and saw Genma sitting there waiting for him. "You serious about this?" The bald martial artist asked.

"Why would I lie about this?" Ranma asked back.

"Then we can go to our old home and retrace our steps until we get a lead." Genma suggested.

'This is going to be hard.' Ranma thought. "Actually Pops, I kind of wanted to do this on my own."

"What? Why on earth would you think that?"

"For starters you gave me this fear and haven't done anything in the past six years to fix it so why would I believe now you can?" Ranma asked.

"You're not going anywhere without me and that's final." Genma stated, leaving no room for argument.

Ranma was about to argue, but an idea came to mind. "Alright then. Is my gear packed?"

"Right there." Genma said, pointing to the wall where two backpacks of traveling equipment rested against.

Ranma went to check it. "You forgot a few things." He said after looking.

"No I didn't."

"Yeah you did, a few things I left around the house. I think I might need them." He hefted up his pack and put it on one shoulder.

"Everything you need is already in there."

"Humor me Pops." Ranma said before leaving the room. But before he went downstairs, he knocked on Akane's door.

"Yes Ranma?" She asked when she opened it, no longer infuriated at him.

"I just wanted to say something while I still had the chance."

"You leaving already?" She asked.

"No, I'm making a last minute checklist. Akane, don't call me an idiot for this. You don't have a crippling fear like I do, so you can't understand my need to do something about it."

"But why can't you wait until summer?" Akane asked.

"Like I said Akane, you can't understand this for me."

'It feels like he's trying to avoid answering me.' Akane thought. "Maybe I'd understand you if you actually made sense once in a while."

"Akane, I don't want to fight. This is something I have to do and I wanted us to be on good terms when it did. Okay?" He told her.

Akane relaxed. "I'm at least glad you did that. But as soon as you get back I'm drilling your ass on the school you missed."

"Yeah, good luck with that Akane." Ranma replied sarcastically but with a smirk before departing. He saw Akane smile too and he took that as a good sign.

Ranma went downstairs but he only grabbed a few snacks from the kitchen and his toothbrush. His earlier claim was just a way to trick Genma so he could take his pack without the panda-man getting too suspicious.

'I hate tricking them all like this, but what other choice do I have?'

"Being as stealthy as he could, Ranma quietly went outside and darted out of sight before running away from the house. 'With luck no one will notice before they can catch up.'

Luck for once appeared to be on Ranma's side, for he made it to Furinkan undisturbed. Waiting for him were Shampoo and Cologne.

"So glad you could make it Son-in-law."

"No time for chit-chat. If we're going we need to go now before my father catches up."

Both Amazons nodded. "Then let's get going."

The trio then departed from the school intending to get to the mountains within an hour or so and remained.

None of them could have possibly known what this trip would end up resulting in.

* * *

Elsewhere, Ryoga was waking up in a place he was unfamiliar with. 'Where am I?' He asked; a question he was all too familiar with. He looked around and saw he was in a room he had never seen before in his life, and it felt like he was lying down on a couch.

"Ah good, you're awake." A stranger's voice called to him. He turned his head to see a short old Chinese woman with a cane taller than herself.

"Cologne?" He asked.

The woman frowned. "How do you know that bitch?"

Ryoga was confused, but a closer look showed this was not the woman who taught him the Bakusai Tenketsu. This woman was a bit tanner and taller, but by two inches at the most and even that was a kind estimate. She also wore a royal purple and blue outfit and her silvery hair was cut short almost exactly like Nabiki had hers.

"Sorry, you reminded me of someone I've met before. Who are you?"

"First you tell me if you're a student of that crone." The old woman demanded.

"No. She did teach me one thing but she completely lied to me about what it was for."

The old woman rolled her eyes. "I'm not surprised. She is a shrewd shrew after all."

"Why am I here exactly?" Ryoga asked.

"Oh, I found you outside not far from here collapsed on the ground. You were pretty dehydrated so I brought you here to rest and rehydrate."

"Thanks."

"Tell me, is Cologne here in Japan?"

"Yeah, and she's trying to help my arch-rival get stronger." The lost boy bitterly admitted.

The old woman grinned. "Tell me, what would you do to beat this rival of yours that Cologne seems to favor?"

"Anything. It's his fault I've seen hell so I won't rest until I send him there."

The old woman smiled even more. "Then my boy, I think I have something that will make it possible for you."

"Why would you care?"

"Because it will hurt that bitch and that's good enough for me. With any luck she'll get caught in the fall-out. Now, let me show you a way to make this boy see hell on earth." She disappeared into the back of her house, which looked more like a shack to Ryoga than a true house, then returned with a rectangular box about the size of two pizza boxes stacked on top of each other.

"What's that old woman?"

"You may call me Perfume, and this is how you prove your might over your rival once and for all."

Ryoga looked at the box and saw it was carved in Chinese designs that looked like some forest with Chinese characters on it. "What's it say?"

"Heian Conglin."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It didn't take long for Ranma and the Amazons to find a spot suitable for their purposes. Turns out it was the same place Ryoga learned the Bakusai Tenketsu. As soon as they got there they set up two tents and went to sleep right away.

The next morning they got up and had a small breakfast, with little said, followed by Ranma's early morning kata's to unwind. Though Cologne did have a kettle ready and waiting.

"Now Son-in-law, while we're here we will focus on your phobia, but I have no intention of forsaking Shampoo's normal training while we're at it. And I imagine you don't want to neglect your own routine as well." Cologne started. Ranma nodded. "So here's what we'll do. We'll focus on treating your fear in the mornings, then normal training in the afternoon though I recommend the two of you do it together rather than separate. Then dinner then relaxation for the rest of the night. Sound fair?"

Ranma nodded again, not seeing anything wrong with it. "Just to warn you Old Ghoul, I see anything that looks like match-making from you, I'm outta here."

Cologne nodded. "Fair enough. Now, treating a fear is not like learning a new technique. We're talking about you _un_learning something instead."

"Unlearning?" Ranma repeated.

"Yes. And I don't mean simply forgetting. Having a phobia has nothing to do with knowing why you have it. There are people in the world who are terrified of things but they can't remember why they became afraid of them in the first place. Phobias affect the subconscious part of your mind, not the conscious."

"So you couldn't just make me forget learning the Neko-ken then?" Ranma clarified.

"If it were that simple I wouldn't need to bring you out here in the first place. We're here because my idea risks you using the Neko-ken and here you'll do the least amount of damage."

Ranma just nodded, though he was a bit apprehensive now. 'What does she have in mind?'

"Ranma, the reason you're afraid of cats is because you were taught to believe something about them. Something downright terrifying. Tell me, when you see a cat, how do you feel? What words best describe how you see a cat?"

Ranma closed his eyes and shuddered. "In a word, a nightmare."

"Good, now use more than one word."

He took a deep breath. "Whenever I see a... when I see one, I can't help but remember what it was like being thrown into that pit over and over again. Being torn apart by their claws, their creepy eyes glowing in the dark, being unable to leave no matter how hard I fought."

"You felt helpless. Powerless. Weak." Cologne stated sagely. "Didn't you?" Ranma nodded. "And every time you see a cat those feelings return to you." Ranma nodded. "Ranma, this is why you even can use the Neko-ken."

"I know that." He said, opening his eyes.

"No, you don't know what I mean. You know the simplified reason for the use of the Neko-ken, but you don't know exactly why it works the way it does. Do you know exactly why your mind tricks you into thinking you're a cat in order to cope with the fear?"

"It's the only way to avoid the fear if I can't escape. You can't be afraid of yourself after all." He guessed, giving an explanation Genma had given him long ago.

"True, but that's not all." Cologne added. "Son-in-law, for you cats are a reminder of your own weakness. You see them, you not only remember what they did to you, you remember the time in your life when you were most helpless to save yourself. Phobias aren't just a fear of one particular stimulus, but a reminder of helplessness and vulnerability. And the reason you become a cat when using the Neko-ken is because your subconscious mind believes that a cat is stronger than you."

"What? No way is any cat stronger than me." Ranma proclaimed.

Cologne held up a canteen towards Shampoo. "Want to prove that?" Ranma trembled, and she lowered the canteen. "I thought so. When you're too terrified to fight and unable to run, you admit to yourself you're not strong enough to do something, yet you still refuse to admit defeat. The only compromise your mind _can_ make is to become something you believe is stronger than yourself, a cat."

"Even if this is true, what's your point?" The pigtailed boy asked.

"My point is if I'm right, then it's a weakness that can be overcome with effort. Just don't argue with my methods on this."

"How do we start?" Ranma asked.

"First, we get started on you seeing cats as something other than things to fear."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "You make it sound so easy."

"Actually, it is. It's only hard if you make it hard." Cologne then stood up. "We'll begin the first exercise. Ranma, all you have to do is swear to remain right here in this lot. You can do whatever you want, but you absolutely cannot leave."

Ranma nodded though he was confused. "What are you planning?"

"This." Cologne said before dousing Shampoo triggering her curse. Shampoo was caught off guard too, but Ranma was the one who reacted first. Knowing what was to come, he tried to get up and sprint off. Unfortunately Cologne was quicker and hit a pressure point to freeze his bodily movements.

"Son-in-law, I believe I said remain here." She told him as he remained in place, lying on the ground since he lost his balance. Shampoo managed to get out of her wet clothes. "Shampoo, keep away from Son-in-law, but remain within his eyesight." The purple cat didn't understand but did as she was told.

Ranma was clearly panicking but was unable to do anything. To resolve that, Cologne sat by his head. "Look at her Son-in-law. Yes she's a cat, but is she doing anything you should be on guard for? Right now she's just sitting there, minding her own business. She's not going to attack you or hurt you. Instead of trying to run away, just keep telling yourself she's not going to hurt you. Why would she after all?"

Ranma couldn't talk but he could listen, and despite his mind screaming 'GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE' at him, her words did have an impact. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and the inability to move made him feel more helpless than normal and he did what he didn't want to do.

"Meow."

Cologne sighed and splashed Ranma with water, turning him to a girl and snapping her out of the cat mentality before she could regain mobility. "I was afraid of this. Apparently we can't force you to face your fear. Only you can." She then used the kettle to make Shampoo become human, then to make Ranma male again. And since Ranma couldn't move, all he could do was close his eyes since Shampoo was completely naked from the change until she redressed.

Cologne then reversed the pressure point on Ranma. "Told ya it wasn't easy." He said as he stretched his muscles.

"This time it was my fault Son-in-law." The elder Amazon told him, surprising him greatly since Ranma was used to people blaming him rather than themselves. "Your desire to get away was stronger than your desire to face your fear."

"I don't want to face my fear! I just want it gone!" He said, a bit irrationally but the feeling of panic hadn't fully left him just yet.

"Son-in-law, does any enemy or problem go away just because you want it to?" She asked him, pointing her staff in his face. "Fear is not a cancer that can be cut out or a poison that comes with an antidote! It is a part of you! A part of how you see the world! To get rid of your fear, you need to change how you see cats! You need to completely change your opinion on cats! I cannot do that for you! Only you can! But you won't if you're not up to the challenge!"

Shampoo clapped her hands once. "That it! Think of it as challenge Airen!"

"A challenge?" Ranma asked.

Cologne nodded, realizing what her great-granddaughter was getting at. "Yes Son-in-law. You make your best accomplishments when presented with a challenge. You need a goal to reach and an obstacle to overcome. Like when learning the Hiryu-Shoten Ha. The goal was getting your strength back, and the obstacle was learning a technique that didn't require strength to do so."

Ranma thought it over and saw her point. "So what do I do here where the goal and the obstacle are almost the same thing?"

"It's not. The goal is getting over the obstacle, and you can't do that if you run away from the obstacle. Now, we're going to try this again, and this time you will be able to move, only tell yourself not to move away. Challenge yourself to remain near Shampoo as a cat."

Shampoo saw he was nervous. "Airen, you think Shampoo try hurt you?"

"No, not anymore."

"Then remember that. Please trust Shampoo."

Cologne nodded. "Yes, keep telling that to yourself Son-in-law. You can't overcome an obstacle if you run from it, and Shampoo is no threat to you. And if that's not enough, then I have one last thing for you to hear." He arched an eyebrow, wondering what this was. "The only ones who should run from cats are mice. Are you a mouse or a man Ranma Saotome?"

Ranma steeled his nerves and straightened his back, trying to look tough. "I'm a man and I can accomplish anything I try."

Cologne smiled. "I sure hope so."

* * *

Back in Nerima, things weren't going so well.

"Damn that disrespectful boy! How dare he sneak off during the night!" Genma said angrily to himself as he walked around the house, venting his frustration at his son deceiving him.

Kasumi was beginning to get tired of his rant though she didn't show it. "Mr. Saotome, if you're worried about your son, why don't you go find him? Don't you have an idea where he might have gone?"

This got the bald martial artist thinking for a moment. "Yeah, he did mention the town we lived in where I taught him the Neko-ken. That's probably where he went."

"Where is that?" Soun asked.

"Shizuoka."

"That far?" Kasumi asked. Shizuoka was a coastal town about halfway between Tokyo and Kyoto.

"Unless he took a train he couldn't possibly be there by now. So you could still catch up to him." Soun told his friend.

"I sure hope so. I'll teach that boy some respect." Genma said before returning to his room to get his gear.

* * *

At school Akane had a lot on her mind. Ranma wasn't at home in the morning, and judging from what Genma said in ire he disappeared shortly after talking to her.

'Why Ranma? Is martial arts so important to you that you have no other priorities?' She asked herself.

"Got something you want to get off your chest Akane?" Nabiki said as she approached her sister during lunch, knowing she needed someone to talk to.

"Kind of. Nabiki, why on earth would Ranma do something like this? Doesn't he think we could help him?"

"Akane, with all due respect, how could any of us help him in this?" The mercenary asked.

"I don't know. I can calm him down, that we do know." Akane replied.

"But you didn't want to go with him and he didn't want to wait until you were ready." Nabiki pointed out.

"Well why didn't he wait? Why couldn't he wait for a vacation break? Why would he value martial arts over school when school is more important to our futures?" Akane asked.

Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the 'our futures' comment, but wisely chose not to call attention to it. "Akane, Ranma has always struck me as the kind of guy who'd rather be out doing something than sitting in a classroom. Maybe you're not that, but he is."

"It's still stupid." Akane claimed but without anger. Instead she sounded forlorn.

"I didn't say it wasn't. I just said that's probably how Ranma thinks."

Nabiki made it a point to understand how people she knew thought. If she could get inside their minds, she could know how to make the best of knowing them.

"Nabiki, everybody's expecting me to marry him someday. How can I be with someone who'd rather do something stupid than smart?" Akane asked.

"Akane, maybe it's not stupid to Ranma. To him this _is_ smart. Can you imagine how Kuno would react if he decided to face Ranma with a cat instead of a bokken? Or Mousse? Or Happosai? Ranma would be disgraced to the point that the Ranma you know and care about will cease to exist."

"I don't care about that jerk." Akane instinctively stated.

"Go ahead and think that sis, but if what I said happened Ranma would stop being who he is and become someone we might not want to know. You say you don't like Ranma now, do you really want to risk him becoming someone even less likable?" Nabiki asked.

Akane paled at the thought.

* * *

"Mousse, focus on the job." One of the cooks at the Nekohanten told the weapon user.

The myopic boy snapped back into reality and saw the food he was working on was getting close to burning. He immediately took it off the stove and worked on the next step.

"What's with you boy?" The cook asked.

Mousse sighed. "It's hard to focus on the work without Shampoo here."

"Well try harder. It's only going to be a week. You're going to have be away from her longer than that after all."

Mousses sighed again and placed the finished meal on a dish to be served. "At least she's not with Saotome. That will make it easier to wait."

No one who knew the truth had the heart to tell him otherwise.

* * *

"You understand everything I told you?" Perfume asked Ryoga.

"I think I do. But if this is for real-"

"Believe me boy, this is very real."

Ryoga looked at the piece of wood in his hands. "Are you sure you want me to use this?"

"I haven't been keeping it with me so it wouldn't be used. I just never needed to until now. Just remember what you need to do to get out of it as the victor, since it will affect you as much as it affects him. But you can emerge the sole victor if you just remember what I told you."

He nodded and tied his gift to his back, the weight not affecting him at all. "I'll bring it back when I'm done. Thank you Elder Perfume."

She smiled. "You can thank me by making Cologne and her pupil utterly fail."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was the first night camping and Ranma was leaning against a tree looking up at the stars, trying to relax.

'That was a hell of a morning.' He mused internally. By nothing except sheer will power did he avoid fleeing from Shampoo's cat form on site. He did create a lot of distance between him and her and was allowed to think of anything to keep him mind off his fear, and she kept her distance from him as well. But the entire time he acted like being near here was like being near an open flame. But on the plus side, he didn't invoke the Neko-ken again.

'The afternoon was only a little better.' He added. While then there was no cat before him, just Shampoo, and he was allowed to practice his martial arts his preferred way to calm himself down, he couldn't help but notice that Shampoo was a little depressed.

'Oh course she was depressed. You treated her like a monster for several hours today.' He told himself when he recalled that. 'I know I can't help it, but her curse is a huge hurdle between us.' He then realized what his words could be interpreted to mean. 'Not that I want to marry her or anything. But her becoming a cat is a problem no matter how you look at it.'

Shampoo approached him with a bowl of soup in her hands. "Airen hungry?" She asked as she offered it.

"Yeah, thanks Shampoo." He said as he took it and tasted it. "Wow this is good. Did you make this?"

The Chinese girl smiled and nodded. "Yes. Happy you like."

He returned to eating with gusto. "I wish Akane cooked this good."

At that Shampoo lost her smile. "Do you like Violent Girl more than Shampoo Airen?"

Ranma mentally sighed, not wanting to deal with this. But of course he knew this would have to come up while he was with Shampoo for several days.

"Shampoo, I don't know who I like most." He responded. "I haven't been given the chance to figure that out. I've got three fiancees that were basically assigned to me, and even more people telling me to choose one and just forget the other ones even exist. I'm also being told why I should choose one and in the same day why I shouldn't choose them instead. I feel like I'm being told to go left, right, and forward all at once. How can I be expected to know what to do with all that pressure? It would be like you being told to make three completely different ramens for three customers who all demanded to be served first. Would _you_ just know what to do?"

Shampoo stared at him wide-eyed taking this all in. 'All this time I thought he just take time, be hard to catch. I not know he feel trapped.'

Shampoo knelt down and put her hand over Ranma's. When he looked at her, he saw she looked quite sorrowful. "Shampoo?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, tears starting to run down her cheeks which she wiped away before opening her eyes again. "Airen, Shampoo so so sorry. Not realize how you feel."

"It's not that bad Shampoo." He tried to say.

"Yes it is" She insisted. "Shampoo say you not know her. But Shampoo not know you as good as thought. Shampoo just pressure you."

"Well it's not like you don't have a reason to." The Japanese boy said on impulse, not comfortable being faced with a crying girl.

She stared at him, trying to say with her eyes what she couldn't say as good in his language. But after a moment, she tried to say it anyway. "Airen, no girl want loveless marriage. Shampoo want Airen as husband, but need Airen love Shampoo first. If Shampoo earn love wrong way so far, please tell Shampoo right way. What Airen want from wife-to-be?"

This question greatly affected Ranma, though he had no idea why. 'Why do I feel so weird? It's not like she's never talked about us getting married or anything. Even Ucchan's done that before. It's nothing I haven't heard before. Then why, why does it feel different this time?'

His silence almost broke her heart, making her cry more. Not wanting to hear a rejection, she rose to her feet and turned around. "Think about it Airen. Violent Girl not only girl who deserve chance." She walked away into her tent before he could respond.

For the rest of the night, Ranma couldn't explain why he felt so confused by her words.

* * *

The next day wasn't much different than the first. Shampoo was in cat form and Ranma was forcing himself not to run from her. This time however it was much easier by comparison, since Ranma had gained some measure of resistance to his fear yesterday, and the fact Shampoo only occasionally glanced at him.

Even when she was human in the afternoon she was making an effort to avoid him, practicing her arts separately but looking at him once in a while. Each time she looked at him, human or cat, Ranma could swear she had a heartbroken look in her eyes.

Ranma could not get this off his mind. He had to do something about it.

That night, when Shampoo was still keeping her distance, he approached her. "Shampoo, can we talk?" He asked, deciding that this time was not a good time to press his luck.

The purple-haired girl, sitting at the campfire next to her great-grandmother, looked up at the pigtailed boy, wondering what to do. 'Is he ready to work on bond? Or just want peace like with Violent Girl?'

Cologne got up from her seat. "I'll give you two some privacy." Before her heir could stop her, she pogoed out of sight.

With that, Ranma sat down on the other side of the fire, facing her. She looked at him, waiting for him to start the conversation he requested.

"Shampoo, I'm not good at this sort of thing. Most of the time I do talk to girls, I think they don't really care what I think, instead they just want me to say what they want to hear. Right now I feel like I should be saying something but I have no idea what that is."

"All Shampoo want is truth."

"Telling the truth isn't that easy Shampoo. Especially when I'm not even sure what the truth is."

"Airen, did Shampoo do wrong in being with you?" She asked him.

Caught by surprise, Ranma had to think it over. "Well, I didn't like the bell gift but in your defense you had no idea it came with a cat, right?"

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo never hurt you like that. Shampoo even hate self for having cat curse." She closed her eyes but looked bitter. "Of all curses, why get the one curse that stop Airen from loving Shampoo?"

Ranma suddenly felt compelled to comfort the distraught girl. So he came over and sat next to her. Shampoo immediately began to weep into his chest, and he just let her. 'Can't exactly make her stop, and if I did I might say something very wrong.' He thought, resolved to let her cry herself out a bit just this once. When she settled down, he saw a chance to say more, and say it safely. "Shampoo, the reason I don't love you yet is because I don't know you that well. Actually, I know about you less than Akane and Ucchan. Why would I want to marry you if I barely know you? For that matter, why do you want to marry me when you barely know me?"

Shampoo looked up at him, her eyes wet but there was a certain light behind them. 'He say no love yet. Yet. That mean he no decide Shampoo never option. He just need know Shampoo more to like more. If he know Shampoo more than other fiancees, Shampoo be best option to him.'

"Is that what Airen want? Know Shampoo better?"

He nodded. "Yes, that would be better."

Shampoo smiled and wiped her eyes, then in her best Japanese began telling Ranma what kind of a person she was.

* * *

On the third day, the tension between Ranma and Shampoo was gone. Now the two were not making an effort to avoid eye contact. Even when Shampoo had to be a cat, they looked at each other and strangely Ranma did not seem so nervous anymore.

Cologne saw this and was quite pleased. "Alright, now Son-in-law has reached the point where he can at least be around one cat without losing his resolve. Now we need to try something else. Shampoo, sit in his lap."

The purple cat nodded and started walking to the pigtailed boy, but he was less than happy about this. "What?"

"Son-in-law, it's not enough for you to see a cat and maintain your calm. You need to keep that calm when the cat comes closer. In all likelihood, what are the odds of you never touching a cat again, voluntarily or otherwise?" Ranma just shrugged. "Exactly. Wouldn't you rather be prepared for that ahead of time?"

Ranma sighed silently, resigning himself that argument. He looked at Shampoo, who stopped in her tracks when he objected, and nodded for her to do as Cologne said. Shampoo hopped into Ranma's lap and got comfortable, enjoying his body heat.

Cologne carefully observed Ranma. 'He's twitching like a nervous wreck and is only keeping her in his peripheral vision. This will not do.' "Now Son-in-law, pet her."

"Huh?"

"Pet her. Gently and with a steady hand, like you've probably seen others do with their pets. You need to do this for any of this exercise to work. Just keep telling yourself Shampoo will not hurt you."

Ranma nodded and with much reluctance started to pet Shampoo. He placed his hand on her head and careful not to apply pressure stroked down her back then started again.

Shampoo felt very relaxed and began to purr, and the sound made Ranma freeze, remembering one of many sounds he heard in the darkness of the cat-filled pits he was thrown into.

"Calm down Son-in-law. A purr means a cat is happy, and why would a happy cat hurt you when you're not covered in food?" Cologne told him to calm him down. "Keep it up, and try holding her in other ways too while we have time. This is how a cat normally is, harmless and only something to fear if threatened, like most domesticated animals are."

Ranma nodded and went back to petting her, letting her be content to be caressed by his strong but gentle hands. She purred more, and Ranma tried his best to ignore his discomfort, but it wasn't easy.

He did go neko one more time, and they had to start all over again.

* * *

The third night was a calm one with some more past revelations between Ranma and Shampoo, mostly on Shampoo's end. She told him about her martial arts training when she was a kid, how she spent most of her time learning the arts and a few things to go with it like acupressure, first aid, and outdoor survival, and some of the interactions she had with others growing up. Mousse wasn't the only person she knew here after all.

Ranma listened intently since she did talk about subjects he could relate to and comment on comfortably, and she let him add to the talk with ease whenever something came to him. By the time it was over, Ranma had practically dropped all his natural defenses without even knowing it.

On the fourth day, Ranma had to hold Shampoo's cat form again, and this time he wasn't shaking after the first hour. Shampoo decided to test him by trying to climb up his torso and without prompting he actually lifted her up. Shampoo rubbed her face against his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, purring very contently.

"That's nice Son-in-law. It looks like you're no longer afraid of Shampoo." Cologne said. 'And I mean that in more than one way.' She added to herself, pleased that this trip was proving effective in getting him to get close to Shampoo as a person as well.

"It sure wasn't easy." He said.

"Now we need to do one last thing." Cologne added.

"What's that?"

Cologne went behind a tree and pulled out a white tabby cat inside a cage. "I went to town and acquired this little guy. It's one thing to not be afraid of Shampoo; you _know_ she's not going to hurt you now. But for other cats, you don't know. If you can keep up the calmness you have towards Shampoo around other cats, you know you've beaten your own weakness."

'That makes sense.' Ranma thought before setting Shampoo down. "Bring it on." He said, trying to sound tough.

Cologne smiled. 'The fact that he's not cautious to try anymore speaks volumes here. Four days have practically undone what all the panda created. I wonder what more time will accomplish.' She opened the cage and the cat walked out, checking its new surroundings. "Go ahead, but be careful not to frighten it. You may be surprised to hear this Son-in-law, but sometimes cats are just as afraid of you as you are of them."

"Really?" Ranma asked, having never considered that possibility. With that in mind, he knelt down in front of the feline and held out his hand. The tabby held back for a moment but approached him and sniffed his hand, smelling Shampoo on it. The scent of another cat seemed to calm it down and it allowed Ranma to pet it too. When he saw it wasn't going to attack either, Ranma picked it up and petted it like he did Shampoo, not looking scared at all.

"You okay?" Cologne asked.

Ranma nodded. "Much better than I thought. If you had told me a week ago I'd be doing this, I would have called you crazy. Does this mean I'm cured?"

"We won't truly know for sure until the next time you're surprised by a cat or see one unexpectedly. But for now, I think it's safe to say you are no longer a mouse. Now comes the next part."

"What more is there to do?" Ranma asked.

"The fear was your trigger for the Neko-ken to be used. As unfavorable as the mentality of that fighting style may be, you must be aware that the Neko-ken is one of the best weapons at your disposal. With your fear gone or at least reduced, there's no telling how it will affect your Neko-ken or by default the rest of your skills. We should work on finding out for sure before the next time someone else challenges you."

"How do we do that?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. The best way to start is see how you do in a spar against Shampoo."

Cologne went to go get some hot water for her great-granddaughter, but stopped when she heard some rustling in the bushes. Ranma heard it too, and placed the cat down so he could be ready for whatever was approaching.

"Nerima's got to be this way. I'm sure of it." Ryoga could be heard saying as he came into view.

"Sorry P-Chan, wrong again."

Ryoga looks surprised but not displeased. "Ranma, I finally found you."

"Yeah, by coincidence." The pigtailed boy muttered.

"Doesn't matter. Now I've got something to beat you with that even you can't win at." Ryoga declared.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

Ryoga took something Ranma couldn't see off his back and held it in front of him. "A one-way ticket to hell on earth."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Make me see hell? Ryoga, don't you ever get tired of hearing those words? I know I sure do." Ranma told his friend/rival.

"Are you a coward Ranma?" The lost boy asked.

Ranma sighed. "You really think I'm going to fight you just because you called me that? I've already proven I'm not a coward. I don't need to keep proving it over and over again."

"Then you won't be afraid to face this."

Ranma did not look impressed. "A box? What's inside?"

Ryoga smirked. "Take a look." He then unclicked two latches on it.

Right away Cologne felt a chill go down her spine. 'There's something connected to that box. Something dark. We should not let him open it.' Dashing rapidly, she hit the lost boy in the face with her staff. She knew from previous experience that this attack would do no actual damage to him, but maybe the fact he was caught off guard would at least distract him and unbalance him long enough for her to try something more effective.

Years of instinct and battle-acquired reflexes took over Ryoga at this point, making him forget about his original plan. He put down the box and tried to attack Cologne in retaliation.

Cologne had no problem defending herself, but she knew from past experience that getting the lost boy to stop was not going to be easy. Besides, she was more concerned about that box of his. "Son-in-law, you take care of him now." She ordered while dodging around Ryoga's strikes.

Ranma nodded and performed a pouncing kick from behind, connecting with the spot right between Ryoga's shoulders. No damage was done to him, but it definitely caught Ryoga's attention and reminded him of who he really came here for.

Forsaking the thing he brought with him, Ryoga went with his normal first reaction, which was simply attacking Ranma head on. Throwing a wild punch, Ranma ducked and hit his front torso which Ryoga had a nasty habit of leaving unguarded. Fortunately for the lost boy his endurance gave him a little more freedom to do so than Ranma did.

Ryoga kicked Ranma and it did connect, sending Ranma flying. The pigtailed boy somersaulted in the air and landed on a tree branch. Getting an idea, he smirked. Jumping to the ground, Ranma avoided Ryoga and grabbed the discarded box. "You dropped your weapon P-chan."

"Give that back!" Ryoga demanded, charging in again.

"Come and get it." Ranma replied, jumping backwards and flipping around in the air before landing then running off, using the Fast Break maneuver of the Saotome School.

"You coward!" Ryoga yelled, chasing after his rival.

"Shampoo, follow them. I've got a bad feeling about that box." Cologne told her heir, who nodded and chased after the two.

It didn't take long for Ranma to lose Ryoga. All he had to do was disappear from sight and let Ryoga get himself lost. The one problem was the bandanna-clad boy wasn't going to completely leave the area that soon or easily. There was also his habit of destroying things when he was trying to find Ranma.

At the moment Ranma was hiding in a bush, keeping an eye out for his rival. While he was waiting, he couldn't help but take a look at the box in his hands. There were four Chinese symbols on it he could not read in the center, surrounded by engravings in the wood that made the symbols look enclosed by leaf-covered vines. In the four corners were other engravings, a monkey, an elephant, a rhino, and a tiger. On the sides were a latch, hinges, and cut-in lines which also cut across the face of the box, making him think it opened like a trapdoor.

'It is pretty well crafted. How exactly did Ryoga plan to hurt me with this?' He wondered.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!" Ryoga could be heard shouting before the sound of a tree cracking followed, then a shadow began to get larger around Ranma.

'Oh crap.' He thought before jumping, forcing himself to get back into Ryoga's line of sight.

"Give that back to me Ranma!" Ryoga demanded.

"What is this thing?" Ranma asked.

"Give it to me and you'll find out." Ryoga answered, making an effort to take it back.

"I'd rather not." The pigtailed boy said before running off again.

"Why you-" Ryoga said before he felt a hit in the back of his head that hurt a little. He turned to see Shampoo brandishing her chúi.

"Pig boy no hurt Airen!"

Still upset with her for trying to cook his pig form not too long ago, Ryoga threw a punch at her too. She parried it with her weapon to divert his throw and thus he struck another tree, cracking it but not felling it. With her other weapon, Shampoo hit him square in the gut, leaving him breathless if not hurt.

Grimacing a bit, Ryoga took advantage of Shampoo's closeness to put her in a headlock. His superior strength made her unable to break the embrace, and she quickly found herself unable to breathe easily. Shampoo saw one easy way out, and took it.

She poked him in the eyes.

Hurt but not mortally so, Ryoga reflexively released the Chinese girl, yelling in pain with his hands over his eyes. Angered, Shampoo hit him in the knees, not breaking them but ensuring he wouldn't be able to stand for a while longer. Then she quickly disappeared.

After a minute, Ryoga's eyes could focus again, though they still stung like hell. Tears running down his cheeks, he looked around, trying to see either of them now. "Dammit! They're both going to pay!"

He forced himself to stand up as soon as he could, then tried to find the others again.

This time he got lost, but didn't realize it until he saw a small town hours later.

Shampoo managed to find Ranma standing by the nearest river. "Airen?"

"Hey Shampoo. You've seen Ryoga yet?"

The Amazon nodded. "Yes, but Shampoo delay him. Got plan?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, lure him here to the river and make him fall in. The current should take his pig form away."

Shampoo smiled. "Good idea." She then noticed Ranma now had the thing Ryoga brought with him. "What that?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." He said, handing it to her.

Shampoo held it before her and knelt down, Ranma doing the same. "It say Heian Conglin, meaning 'dark jungle' in Chinese."

"Dark jungle?" Ranma repeated.

Shampoo nodded, then noticed the hinges and latch. "It open?" She then unlocked the latch, which had gotten relocked after Ryoga unfastened it. But before she could open it, Ranma grabbed her hands. "Airen?"

"Maybe we should just leave this alone."

"But if Pig Boy come back, maybe we can use on him instead." She suggested.

'She's got a point.' He thought. "Alright, but be careful."

She nodded then grasped the sides of the box and opened. The top of it parted like a cardboard box would, revealing the equally intricate inside.

There was a circular glass panel in the center of the interior, with two segmented lines spiraling towards the panel from opposing sides but never touching or intersecting. Around them were more engravings of leaf-covered vines. The two halves of the lid were revealed to be hollow with inscriptions in the top of both sides, and a compartment at the bottom of both. One had two carved figurines, and the other had two dice.

"It's a board game?" Ranma and Shampoo asked in complete disbelief.

"Why he bring board game?" Shampoo asked.

"He was probably tricked into thinking it was some sort of secret weapon. Either that or he's so desperate to beat me at something he's stopped caring what it is he beats me at." Ranma thought out loud with a small chuckle.

Curious, Shampoo picked up the figurines to get a better look at them. One of them looked like a tiger on its hind legs, the other like a Chinese dragon doing the same.

Suddenly the figurines literally flew out of Shampoo's hands onto the board, tumbled a bit and set themselves up at the beginning points of the spiraling paths.

"That was weird." Ranma said before trying to remove them, only to find they would not budge. "Huh? They're stuck?"

Even more curious, Shampoo picked up the two dice to see if they did anything. They did not, to her relief.

Ranma glanced at the writing in the game's lid but he could not read it. "Shampoo can you read this?"

She looked at it and recognized the characters. "It old Chinese." She read it and tried to give the most accurate translation into Japanese she could.

"Dark Jungle, for those who wish to say they greatest warrior of their day. Roll dice to move figure and face challenge, and truth revealed at end of game."

"How the hell is a board game supposed to determine how great a warrior anyone is?" Ranma asked, still seeing no way this situation could make sense.

"Want find out?" Shampoo asked, rattling the dice in her hand.

Ranma looked understandably skeptical. "You don't really think this game could prove anything do you?"

"What worst thing that happen?" The Amazon asked before rolling the dice. They stopped at three, and without explanation the tiger figurine began to move on its own to the square in front of it then stopped.

"How did it do that?" Ranma asked. "And you rolled a three so why did it only move one space?"

"Airen look." Shampoo told him, pointing to the glass panel that started to shimmer. The number three in Chinese script appeared then was replaced as words began to form on their own. "A thousand needles fly unbound, until bodies lie on the ground. One alone alerts the nest, their drone will mark the start of your test." She quoted just before the words disappeared.

"Okay, this is really strange." Ranma noted.

Their surroundings had been relatively quiet so far, the sound of the river being the only notable noise, but now both teens heard something else.

"Airen hear that?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sounds like there's a swarm in the area. We should get out of here." He picked up the dice to put them away.

All of a sudden, a larger than normal bee flew out and landed on Shampoo's shoulder. Ranma tried to swat it away for her, but it got back on his hand and stung him. "Yowch!" He said reflexively, inadvertently dropping the dice in his hand and making them roll out an eight.

"You okay?" Shampoo asked, gently taking Ranma's hand to inspect the sting. Using her fingernails she carefully pulled out the stinger then attempted to suck out the venom. As she did, she saw the dragon figurine advance one space and another number and phrase appear in the glass panel.

"The scales are weighed and the di is cast, be wary of the rattle, hiss and rasp. The ground may not be quite as it appears, take care or their venom will drip like tears."

'I no like sound of that.' The lavender-haired girl thought, releasing her loved one's hand. "Airen, we better take this to Great-grandmother."

Ranma nodded and closed the game, not soon enough to see the message it showed but he wouldn't have been able to read it anyway so that didn't matter. He got up and he heard a ruffling in the bushes. Then he heard a very unpleasant hiss.

Ranma slowly looked around, as did Shampoo. There were a lot more bees in the area, hovering around the two, and from the bottom of the bushes emerged several dangerous-looking snakes, which seemed to be eyeing the teens as if they were mice.

"Let's get out of here." Ranma suggested, trying to stay calm. While he was no stranger to encountering bees and snakes in the wild, handling them both at the same time was not a good idea for anyone. Plus their sudden arrival unnerved him; it was almost too much of a coincidence.

Seeing a break in the growing swarm, Ranma and Shampoo tried to run thru it. The snakes in that direction rose up hissing angrily, but the two martial artists jumped over them all. The snakes lunged, but neither teenager were stopped. They just ran back towards their campsite.

"Are creatures following?" Shampoo asked.

Ranma looked back. "The bees are. I don't see the snakes though." Shampoo winced and fell to her knees and hands, making Ranma stop too. "What's wrong? Get up."

"It hurts. Think got bitten." Shampoo said, one of her hands grasping her ankle.

'No time to check it.' Ranma thought, seeing the bee swarm get closer. It even looked like it had gotten bigger. Ranma immediately scooped up Shampoo into his arms and ran off again, glancing at her and the box he brought with him too. 'Ryoga you moron, what is this thing? I know this is somehow connected to these animals.'

_Before anyone asks, yes this is based on Jumanji. A darker version of the game that's two-player and Asian rather than African. More on the game will be revealed as the story progresses._


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Ah good, you've returned." Cologne greeted the two teens and immediately took notice of her great-granddaughter's ailment. "What's wrong?"

"She got bitten by a snake. Can you do something for it?" Ranma asked, setting her down.

Cologne immediately inspected the wound, which was small but the skin around it was puckered and darkening. "That's not good." She moved to their supplies. "I did not think to bring antivenom with us, so this will have to do for now." She pulled out a small knife and cut into her leg.

"What? What the hell are you thinking Old Ghoul?" Ranma yelled, trying to knock the knife out of her hand, only to get hit.

"Son-in-law, I appreciate your concern for Shampoo, but even you must know I wouldn't do this without a reason. This will help her bleed the majority of the venom out of her, hopefully buying us enough time to take her to a hospital. Now come on, pack up and carry her back to civilization. Be gentle with her though."

In no mood to argue, Ranma nodded and packed up everything he could, including the game Ryoga brought while ignoring the burning itch on his hand from the bee sting. When he finished he picked up Shampoo who wrapped her arms around him.

"Airen, it hurts."

"It'll be okay Shampoo. We'll get you some help." He told her as he started running, making sure not to head towards where the bees and snakes were.

* * *

"Dammit, I lost them." Ryoga groaned, looking around the area. He had stepped out of the forest and was right beside a dirt road. "And I lost the game too. Perfume's not going to be happy."

Sighing, he then got an idea. "Maybe Ranma will be stupid enough to get it started without me. Heh, I hope so. Let him and that Chinese girl get caught up in the trouble." He then pulled out an emerald pendant he was given. "Without this, they're both doomed. Especially when it gets really bad." He laughed to himself and put the pendant away. "Now if I could just find my way back to see him struggle."

He walked down a path, somehow completely oblivious to the roadside sign that said 'This way to Tokyo' pointing the opposite direction he was going.

* * *

Cologne and Ranma brought Shampoo to the Nerima Hospital since there was no guarantee Tofu carried antivenom in his clinic. The doctors immediately took her to the poison control section, where she rested in a bed with Ranma and Cologne by her side.

"You said she was bitten by a snake." A female doctor asked. "Do you know what kind of snake it was?"

"Why would that matter? Just fix her." Ranma said.

"We will, but we need to know what kind of snake poisoned her so we can use the correct antivenom. If we used the wrong kind, it would only serve to worsen her condition."

Ranma tried his hardest to remember what kind of snakes they had encountered. "They were dark green with yellow bellies, and I think they were vipers the size of my arm. Maybe longer."

"That doesn't sound like any snake I'm familiar with." The doctor said. "But I'll consult our specialists to see if we have viper antivenom or at least a detox method for her. Just wait here with her for now." He nodded then the doctor left.

"Airen...?" Shampoo said quietly with a wince.

"Save your strength Shampoo. I've been bitten by a poisonous snake before so you should relax and not tire yourself out."

"Talking no hurt. Shampoo want say thank you for helping."

"No need to thank me. It's not like I would have left you to die or something." He said it with a seriousness that Shampoo should have expected but was still surprised at.

"So you no hate me?" She asked.

Ranma mentally groaned. "No Shampoo I don't hate you. I thought I made that clear already. Why would you still worry about that?"

Before the younger Amazon could speak, the older one interjected. "Son-in-law, would you mind if you and I have a few words in private?"

"Can't it wait?"

"It can, but I believe I can answer your question for her."

Ranma quickly glanced to Shampoo, as if unwilling to leave her side. But she simply smiled. "Shampoo be fine Airen."

With a reluctant nod he left the room with Cologne. He didn't feel right leaving Shampoo alone since no one was there to make sure she wasn't in pain, and he still couldn't help but feel somehow this could be blamed on him even though he saw no way how.

"Now Son-in-law, I can understand your confusion about Shampoo's feelings, and I will do my best to explain them to you in a manner you can understand. Please do not interrupt me for this to work. Any questions or denials you have can be saved for after, understand?"

Ranma just nodded and Cologne continued. "My great-granddaughter is normally a very proud girl. Like you, she is very confident in her strength and ability to succeed thanks to her years of training and experience. And like you, there is one thing that makes her confidence falter, though the thing she fears is not cats. Can you guess what her fear is?"

"Dogs?" Cologne just looked at him seriously and Ranma sighed deeply. In truth it wasn't hard for Ranma to figure out the answer. However that didn't make it any less difficult to admit out loud. "That I might never love her back."

Cologne nodded. "Right Son-in-law. Now tell me, why would she be afraid of that? Let me remind you that Mousse is actively pursuing her and he wasn't exactly the only boy back home to hope he could get her affections. Shampoo was quite popular back home so it's not like you're the only option she has."

Ranma looked like he was about to interrupt right then but stopped himself, remembering what was asked of him.

Cologne was glad for his restraint. "I assume that right now you were about to point out the law that binds her to you, right?" Ranma nodded. "Son-in-law, there are ways around the law. There has to be, because there have been many times in the past and even nowadays where we have to compromise tradition for the greater good. We don't like it, no more than anyone else does, but it's a necessary evil at times."

"So with that in mind I want you to know that it has always been within my authority to cancel any of the kisses she gave you. Sometimes I am still tempted to do so, but I do not because this is if nothing else a good learning experience for my great-granddaughter. And she knows I can do this, so if she wanted to all she'd have to do is ask me to cancel the Kiss of Marriage so we could go home. So tell me Son-in-law, if Shampoo knows she doesn't _have_ to be here and she has other boys actually wanting to become her husband, why is she trying to get together with you?"

"You certain she knows that you can void the kiss?" Ranma asked.

Cologne nodded. "You really think I wouldn't have bothered to tell her that before she even enacted it? All girls in Joketsuzoku know about the kiss laws and how to get around them if there comes a time they should have to. Like if they gave the Kiss of Death to someone connected to the PRC or the neighboring tribes and killing them would risk a war. Or if they lose to an outsider male who's not as reluctant as you are to have a girl like Shampoo in his life. Like Happosai for instance."

Ranma shuddered at that thought. "The creep would like that, wouldn't he?"

Cologne nodded. "It is because of people like him that the Kiss of Marriage is actually entirely optional."

"Optional?" Ranma repeated. "But the book Shampoo showed us said that it was mandatory."

"You mean this book?" Cologne asked, pulling out the same book that Shampoo showed Ranma and the Tendo's when she first showed up.

"Where'd you get that?" Ranma asked.

"Back home, the same place Shampoo got her own copy. Only problem is she grabbed an outdated version where the Japanese translation was summarized rather than properly detailed. Here, let me show you the difference."

She opened the book to a specific page then handed it to Ranma, who began to read the Japanese translation.

_The female warriors of Joketsuzoku are famous for two traditions they have regarding defeat at the hands of an outsider. When the defeat was against a woman, the warrior may give her the Kiss of Death, where the warrior vows to chase down the woman after a single day's head start in order to kill her no matter where the woman flees to. When the defeat was against a man, the warrior may give him the Kiss of Marriage, where the warrior and the man are recognized as husband and wife by Joketsuzoku law._

_Normally these traditions are thought of as absolute, thus the Joketsuzoku have earned the nickname the Chinese Amazons, similar to that of the Greek Amazons. However, this comparison has led to several misconceptions about the tribe and the kisses._

_The Kiss of Death is primarily a scare tactic, designed to terrify the recipient into shaming themselves by seeking to make amends to the warrior they defeated or to forever avoid them. The tactic was created for the purpose of scaring off outside threats, and while some warriors do indeed kill the recipient, in those cases it is usually because of self-defense. Very few recipients were actually murdered through this method, and even then warriors try to take the time and effort to make sure the recipient is not someone with connections that can endanger the tribe._

_The Kiss of Marriage is primarily a means to bring new blood into the tribe or acquire new alliances for it instead. To help keep variety in the offspring of Joketsuzoku, warriors would often go out and seek men who impressed them. Nothing impressed them more than a man who could defeat them, thus this became the standard for the kiss. At the time the tradition was created no marriage ceremonies were needed and most men who beat warriors were looking for wives to begin with. Naturally though, the warrior never gave it to any man who had no charm to her, and negotiations could be made if the man lost his charm to her._

Ranma looked back to Cologne. "So you're saying that at any point if Shampoo wanted to, she could have bargained her way out of this mess?"

Cologne nodded. "Yes. And the main reason she gave you the Kiss of Marriage in the first place was because you had appeal to her."

"But why? She had only seen me as a man for a minute before that happened."

"You'll have to ask her. All I can say for certain Son-in-law is that unlike a certain Tendo, my great-granddaughter actually _wants_ to be your wife. I'm not saying you have to marry her now, but wouldn't you prefer a girl that at least wants you in her life?"

"Y'know, that could also be used to support Ucchan's claim on me too." Ranma pointed out.

"I suppose it could. But when it comes to her claim, you might want to ask yourself how exactly she wants you to fit in her life and if you even want that role. For that matter, ask both Akane and Shampoo. See what you're getting into before you give the girls too much to expect from you."

Ranma lightly frowned. "Even so, how am I supposed to do that when I can't solve this mess without dishonoring someone? If you're so smart, tell me how my honor can stay intact through all of this."

Cologne grinned. "I will, but let's get some food first. You look hungry, and the food will make you feel better."

Ranma looked notably more pleased at the idea. "We did miss dinner to get here, so sure. But no hospital food."

"Agreed." Cologne said without hesitation.

* * *

After dinner at a nearby cafe, which Cologne had been gracious enough to pay for provided Ranma limited his intake, the duo returned to the hospital to see Shampoo's progress.

"She's doing remarkably better, we've detoxed her blood and added some medicine to prevent infection. She'll be perfectly fine to leave tomorrow morning but she should refrain from putting too much weight on her bitten foot." The nurse from earlier answered while Shampoo slept peacefully.

"Thank you." Cologne replied. "Since I am her legal guardian and we're a ways from home, I'd prefer it if we could remain here tonight."

"I don't see why not." The nurse said then looked to Ranma. "What's his relation to her?"

"He is her husband." Cologne answered before Ranma could say the wrong thing.

"Husband?" The nurse repeated, surprised. "At their age?"

"It's a Chinese marriage. Customs are a little different there." Cologne told the medic.

The explanation seemed to be good enough for the nurse. "Alright he can stay, as long as he doesn't insist his wife shares her bed."

"I'll see to it he doesn't do anything he shouldn't." Cologne reassured the nurse who then left.

As soon as she took a seat Ranma asked the inevitable. "Why did you tell her that?"

Cologne motioned for him take a seat too, which he did before she answered. "Son-in-law, haven't you ever wondered why Shampoo refers to you two as husband and wife, not fiancees?"

"I assumed she was being hopeful, not literal."

"In a way it's both." Cologne told him. "In a way, you are actually closer to marrying Shampoo then any of the other girls. But enough of that for now. Show me this thing you acquired from your friend. I suspected there was something not normal about it from the moment he brought it out."

Ranma nodded and went beside Shampoo's bed where he stashed the object in question. "It's the strangest thing. Ryoga brought a board game to the fight."

"A board game?" Cologne repeated. Ranma opened the lid and showed the board itself. "You're right, that is odd. But I'm sensing something off about this."

"So this isn't a normal board game?" Ranma asked.

"I highly doubt the boy would bother bringing a normal one." Cologne said before touching the wood. Immediately she withdrew her hand as if burned by it. "I was right. That is some dark magic in there. Please tell me you didn't actually start the game."

"I didn't... but Shampoo did."

"Whatever magic is tied to this game must somehow be involved with the game itself."

"Have you seen this before?" Ranma asked.

Cologne shook her head. "No Son-in-law, even I haven't seen everything in my lifetime. This is completely new to me." She decided to look over the inscription on the inside of the lid. "Dark Jungle, for those who wish to say they are the greatest warrior of their day. Roll the dice to move the figure and face the challenge, and the truth will be revealed at the end of the game."

Ranma nodded. "Shampoo read that part."

"What about this part?" Cologne asked, pointing to the other half of the lid where a second inscription was that Shampoo failed to decipher earlier. "Warriors beware, once you enter the jungle you cannot leave until you reach the other side. The challenges of the game will vanish only after both players reached the goals and called out the name."

"Is this some sort of cursed game?" Ranma asked.

"No ordinary game would have this kind of magic in it." Cologne replied. 'Where did the Hibiki boy get this? Does he know what the magic does? We should find him as soon as possible, but with that horrible sense of direction he has it would be easier to wait for him to come back. But can we afford to wait?'

Ranma grabbed the dice. "Shampoo grabbed the dice and rolled them, and the tiger figurine moved on its own. Then some Chinese writing appeared on its own in the glass panel which Shampoo read, though I can't remember what it said. I tried to put the dice away but a bee came and stung me making me drop them and I guess the game thought I rolled the dice."

"The game thought?" Cologne repeated, not liking the sound of that. "Son-in-law, I doubt the game is sentient."

"Watch I'll show you." Ranma said, grabbing the dice.

"No don't." Cologne said just as Ranma rolled them. With baited breath both waited for something to happen.

But nothing did.

Ranma was confused. "It did something. I swear." He rolled again but nothing happened still. "Why isn't the game doing anything?"

"If it's a game Son-in-law, then maybe it's not your turn to play." Cologne told him. "We'll have to test it tomorrow away from the hospital when Shampoo's recovered." Ranma nodded. 'My instincts tell me this should be left alone, but if the game's already started Shampoo and Son-in-law may not have that option. Some games don't give you the option of quitting until you finish.'


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"How are you feeling Shampoo?" Cologne asked in the morning.

The purple-haired Amazon stepped out of bed, testing if her ankle could support her weight. "Feel fine. Good as ever."

That's good. Now, do you two think we should go back to the camp or to somewhere else private?" Cologne asked.

"Back to the camp. We're not done training just yet." Ranma answered.

"Fair enough point Son-in-law. Hope you're still up to what you must do." Cologne told him. "However, before we resume training, I think we should focus on this game you acquired. Away from town of course."

"Why? How dangerous do you think this game is?" Ranma asked.

"Dangerous enough that Ryoga sought to use it against you."

"Good point."

* * *

With that, the trio went back to the mountains outside town though not right back where they had been previously due to the bees and snakes that had appeared the other day. Rather than unpack Cologne had both teens sit down before her, the game between them all.

"Kids, I've been thinking it over and the conclusion I can best reach is that this is some sort of supernatural board game. Maybe one that comes to life as it's being played." She started.

"The sad thing is I can find this believable." Ranma ruefully muttered.

"There's only one way to confirm this or not." Cologne added, then opened the game. "Shampoo, roll the dice. I need to see this in action."

"But Great-grandmother, if game is supernatural won't that be bad to do?" Shampoo asked.

"Yes, but unfortunately you've already started the game. And if I understand the directions correctly, you and Son-in-law have no choice but to see it through to the end. I don't know what would happen if you two were to just refuse playing. Maybe nothing more than what already has happened, or maybe your lives will be endangered. I don't know. But I do believe that the best course of action to take here is just playing the game and getting it over with."

"Any idea what to expect?" Ranma asked.

"Honestly? No; If those snakes and bees you mentioned are any clue, somehow each roll of the dice presents with a physical challenge to face. Beyond that, I have no idea what to expect. I've never encountered something like this before."

Shampoo slowly grasped the dice, and looked at her hand, unsure what to do. Taking a breath, she rolled the dice. "Here goes nothing."

The dice landed on an eight and the tiger figurine moved only one space forward.

'Interesting, one space instead of eight.' Cologne noted, and saw the glass panel flash a Chinese eight for a moment, then reveal an inscription. "Hide and wait is what they do best, until something stumbles into their nest. Only the lucky can escape their trap, and those that can't will take a nap." The words then disappeared.

"I don't know if I should be glad I can't read that or not." Ranma stated.

The trio got defensive, waiting to see if something that didn't belong would suddenly appear.

Shampoo was the first to see it, the new threat. From the tree in front of her and behind Cologne descended a spider that was easily as big as her cat form. Dangling on a web strain, this spider had black legs with yellow rings, a black body with yellow-white streaks going vertically over it, and the abdomen was maroon with yellow-white streaks going horizontally across it. And the giant arachnid was making a noise that was sort of a cross between hissing and chirping.

"Big spider!" Shampoo warned everyone, pointing at the bug and sounding a bit more scared then she actually was. She wasn't arachnophobic, but seeing a spider big enough that you needed both feet to step on it properly would make anyone a bit panicked.

And if that wasn't bad enough, more spiders showed up. It looked like every tree in sight had one of these spiders in it, and each one of these spiders was dropping to the ground, heading towards them.

"It's got to be the game. You don't get spiders like these in Japan." Ranma said, instinctively getting into his fighting stance.

Shampoo pulled two chui from seemingly out of nowhere. "Spiders are still spiders. Crush them all." She handed one of her weapons to Ranma. "Just in case."

He took it. "Thanks, but I-" He was cut off by Shampoo using her chui like a hammer to crush a spider that jumped at Ranma from his blind spot. "Good job Shampoo." He then began kicking some spiders away.

Cologne batted away some spiders with her staff. One of the spiders she missed reared up like it was about to pounce and clearly hissing, a clear liquid dripping from its fangs. The spider then jumped at her, but she ducked under it and did an uppercut to its underside, not killing it but sending it away from her.

Unfortunately, there were too many left to keep doing that to. Looking behind her briefly, she saw Ranma and Shampoo squashing the bugs back-to-back, both covering the blind side of the other. "Son-in-law, Shampoo, let's move."

"But-"

"Spiders prefer to stay in one place." Cologne said, dodging another spider and landing on its back, crushing it. "It's their nature to trap, not hunt. So before a web appears, let's get out of here."

Not wanting to argue, Ranma grabbed the game then jumped out of the area, followed by Shampoo and Cologne. Unfortunately, he jumped right into a giant spiderweb, one strong enough to keep him stuck. And two spiders were crawling towards him from his left and right.

Shampoo and Cologne stopped before they got caught too. "Airen!" Shampoo screamed. She immediately swung at the spiders, knocking the right one off the web. The left one had reached Ranma and was just about to bite into him before she slammed her fist into its eight eyes, knocking it off too. "Airen, you okay?"

"I'm fine, just stuck."

Cologne reacted by swinging her staff near him but not too close, and he was cut from the web, some strands still stuck to him.

"How did you do that?" Ranma asked. 'It's a wooden stick, not a sword. Not even a bokken.'

"Save that for later. Right now let's just get somewhere else." The old woman ordered.

No one argued, and the two followed her. No one looked back to see if the spiders were following.

After five minutes they stopped, settling closer to Nerima but still outside the city limits. No spiders could be seen, not even normal ones.

"Okay, that settles it. This game definitely conjures up a challenge for its players, and judging by the name I'd say the challenges are jungle-themed. So you two could face anything from tigers to elephants." Cologne theorized.

"We'll have to keep it away from town. We don't need Nerima turning into a jungle." Ranma proclaimed.

"Agreed. But one thing still concerns me. Why did Shampoo's piece only move one space?"

Shampoo shrugged. "Not know. Did that before too."

Cologne narrowed her eyes at the game in thought. 'Hmm... is it possible that the roll of the dice has nothing to do with the movement of the figures? But instead it determines what the challenge decided in the roll is? Maybe the challenge is decided randomly like the roll of the dice, but what if it isn't?"

"Great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked, wondering why her relative was being silent.

"I'm thinking over something." She told her descendant. 'Okay, let's say the roll decides what the challenge is. In that case, maybe each space on the board is set to respond with twelve different challenges, and with two paths of twelve spaces the players are forced to deal with twenty-four challenges before the end. Doing the math, I'd say there can be anywhere between 144 and 288 challenge possibilities for them. Luckily only twenty-four of them can be used, so that's a bit of a relief. Or maybe it's not that complicated and only twenty-four challenges exist period and the roll of the dice just decides the order in which they're given.'

Resisting a mental sigh, Cologne faced the two teenagers. "You two better start playing. With luck you can finish tonight and everything will go away."

Ranma nodded and grabbed the dice. "I just hope things don't get too much worse."

'Something tells me these bees and snakes and spiders are just the beginning.' Cologne thought as Ranma rolled a two, then looked for the inscription. "Claws and stripes decorate the beast which desires to make you his feast. Man-eater is his claim to fame, will he remove you from the game?"

"Shampoo no like sound of that." The purple-haired girl said, worried about what was to come.

The sound of a twig snapping practically made everyone jump out of their skin and look around. They couldn't see anything, but they knew something was there, about to make itself known.

A low growl, sounding like an angry purr, was heard, and a pair of glowing eyes were seen in the shadows of the trees.

Ranma stiffened and broke out in a cold sweat. "No, not this. Anything but this."

The animal slowly stepped forward, only its face and one paw out of the shadows now but it was clearly identified as a tiger. And it was looking right at Ranma.

"Try to control your fear Son-in-law." Cologne whispered. "It can smell your fear, and that will make it a bigger threat to you than it already is."

The tiger snarled, almost as if it was daring Ranma to fight or flee.

He chose to flee. The tiger chose to chase, with the Amazons trying to follow Ranma.

* * *

It was gym class for Akane and she along with the other girls were doing some laps around the school. Akane was keeping a good pace thanks to her routine morning jogs, but her mind was running all over the place.

'How long is Ranma going to be gone? I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss him.'

A loud piercing scream was heard, making everyone in the jog come to a halt. To their right they saw a man barrelling towards them.

"Ranma?" Akane asked herself, not expecting to see him.

He apparently didn't see her, as he kept on running.

"What was that?"

"Was that Saotome?"

'Why was he-?' Akane asked herself, then got her answer when she saw a tiger follow right after him. 'A tiger? Are Gosunkugi and Kuno up to something again?'

The sight of the tiger made the class decide to head back to school, but Akane stayed behind contemplating whether or not to go help Ranma somehow, even though she had no idea how. As she wondered, she saw Shampoo and Cologne run after Ranma too. The sight of the purple-haired Amazon sparked some jealousy in the short-haired Tendo and made her decide to follow.

* * *

Seeing a fence Ranma hopped on it hoping it would make it harder for the tiger to follow him. 'I can't outrun it forever. I got to get somewhere it can't follow or can't get out of. But where?' A forced turn on the fence brought Furinkan into his view and he got an idea.

Running faster, this time with a purpose rather than to escape, Ranma jumped into the school grounds, the tiger still following him. Ranma went for a door into the school, leading the tiger down the halls and past some very frightened teachers and students.

Ranma saw his destination in mind and felt better already. He opened the door and ran inside, leaving the door open for the giant cat to follow. Ranma hung on the back of the door rather than officially enter it, and once he saw the tiger go inside he swung around the door and closed it from the outside, locking it from the inside in the process. Hoping that this would keep the tiger away.

With the carnivore out of sight, Ranma felt the adrenaline leave his system and he slumped on the floor, leaning against the door. Or at least until he felt the tiger hit the door from the other side, making him bolt away. Fortunately no more sounds were made.

Shampoo and Cologne were the first people to approach him. "Airen? You okay?" Shampoo asked, hugging him to comfort his fraying nerves.

"I'm fine, that tiger didn't lay a claw on me." He managed to say while catching his breath and calming his racing heart.

"RANMA YOU PERVERT!" Akane screamed when she got close, seeing Shampoo on him with him making no effort to remove her. She brought out her mallet to give him what she was so certain he deserved...

...Only for Cologne to hit her first with her cane, knocking her on her back while putting pressure on an abdominal pressure point to hinder the girl's ability to use her legs for the time being.

"There are more important things to address here than your whims." Cologne told the tomboy before facing Ranma. "Son-in-law, while I congratulate you on being able to devise any form of tactic while facing your phobia, locking it in a room won't do you any good in the long run."

"I think maybe it will." Ranma countered. "That's the principal's office."

"So?"

"It's bigger than it looks."

At that very moment, Principal Kuno had to stop playing his ukulele in his hammock when he saw the tiger walking thru the palm trees and shrubs.

"Good keiki, nice keiki..."

The tiger growled, and Principal Kuno fled.

"Son-in-law, I think this instance if nothing else shows you've made some progress on conquering your fear." Cologne said with a smile. 'He ran, that's expected, but he managed to come up with a way to get rid of the threat rather than just hoped to outrun it indefinitely. There is hope for him, even if he needs a little more work.'

"Do we really have to keep playing this game?" Ranma asked.

Cologne sadly nodded. "I'm afraid you do. But at least if you get it over with then everything will just go away. And besides, I doubt the game can make a second tiger appear." 'But there are still panthers, leopards, and more that could come.'

Shampoo pulled out the game and grabbed the dice. "Shampoo don't!" Cologne ordered, and the purple-haired girl stopped before she rolled.

"What wrong Great-grandmother?"

"We shouldn't do this here. Let's go back outside the city before we get thru it. No reason to bring everything here."

Akane tried to sit up to glare at Ranma. "You jerk! Here I was worried about you but you were just trying to hang around with that bimbo Shampoo all this time?"

"It's not like that Akane."

"Shut up! I hate you! Don't you ever set foot in my house again or I'm calling the police!" Akane yelled.

Shampoo, dice still in hand, knelt down before the angry Japanese girl. "Fine, then Pervert Girl lose claim to Airen and no can stop Shampoo from now on."

Feeling a bit outraged, offended, and humiliated by the Chinese girl's claim, Akane swung her arms at her, which could still be used. Shampoo blocked it effortlessly with her hand, but dropped the dice in the process. Unable to catch them, they rolled a four and the tiger figure on the board moved.

"Oh no, something is going to appear here now." Cologne warned, looking to see the next inscription. "Creeping and crawling through stone or earth, now you run for all you're worth. It grows to block out the comfort of light, now face an enemy you cannot fight."

The sound of plaster cracking made everyone look around and saw the walls and floor splitting in random spots. And through the bigger cracks small green vines started to emerge.

"What's going on here?" Akane asked, worried.

"Nerima is about to become a jungle now. That's what's going on here."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The halls of Furinkan were turning green, and not from a repainting. Vines were coming out of the wall and grass was coming out of the cracks in the linoleum. A few small trees even poked out, growing much too fast to be considered natural.

"This is impossible." Akane said, frightened by what she was seeing.

"Well it's happening. And only Son-in-law and Shampoo can do anything about it." Cologne said. Thinking quickly she broke one of the nearest windows before it was covered in foliage. Ranma picked up Akane's still form and the four of them left the room.

Once outside Akane struggled against Ranma's grip. "Don't you touch me you cheating bastard! Now or ever!"

"Akane, look around you. You wanna argue about this _now_?" Ranma yelled at her, forcing her to look at Furinkan.

Plant growth wasn't limited to just inside the school. Trees, vines, grass, and even some bamboo were already growing on the grounds. Students and teachers and custodians were running out of the school like it was on fire.

"What did you do Ranma?" Akane asked accusingly.

"Me? This isn't my fault. It's Ryoga's fault."

"You're picking on Ryoga when he's not even here? Just when I think you can't sink any lower you do! Screw family honor, I refuse to ever marry you!" Akane shouted in anger more than anything.

Hurt by her harsh words but not willing to show it, Ranma frowned. "Fine then, it's not like I ever wanted to marry you anyway. Maybe I should be with Shampoo since she at least does want me. And why don't you go be with Ryoga if he's so damn perfect?"

Elsewhere, Ryoga was carefully trying to cross a stream by walking along some convenient stepping stones when he suddenly sneezed, lost his balance, and fell in. So a certain little piggy went bwee all the way downstream.

Back at Furinkan, Cologne approached Ranma. "Son-in-law, let's focus on the bigger crisis right now. Even I have to admit that this disaster takes priority over who gets you as a husband."

Letting go of Akane Ranma looked around. "It's spreading."

"Indeed. You must finish the game as soon as possible."

"Someone tell me what the hell is going on here?" Akane demanded as she got on all fours with effort. Her mobility was returning but her muscles were protesting it.

"Ranchan!"

"Ucchan?" Ranma saw his old friend come running up to him. She had her battle spatula out so he was nervous she was as angry as Akane.

"What's going on? Where have you been? And where did these plants come from?" She asked, trying to catch her breath. "They're growing faster than I can chop them."

"A magic game is coming to life." Ranma told her.

"Seriously?" Ukyo asked with some skepticism.

"Yes seriously."

"Airen, your turn." Shampoo claimed as she handed him the game.

"Wait! If that game is responsible then stop playing it." The okonomiyaki chef suggested.

"We can't. The instructions say the only way to get rid of everything is to finish the game. If we ignore it or leave it, this will be permanent."

"How can I help?" Ukyo asked.

"I don't know, just do what you can I guess." Ranma said as he took the dice. "Be on your guard everyone." He rolled a ten.

Cologne read the inscription as soon as it appeared. "Jokers of the jungle they run and jest, others may call them problem or pest. Now they come to have some fun, know that your challenge is not yet done."

"What this time?" Shampoo groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever it is the plants are still here." Ukyo told them as she looked around.

An animal cry was suddenly heard, getting everyone, even Akane, defensive. "That sounded like it was in the trees." The youngest Tendo warned.

"Hey! Somebody help me!" Someone cried from the other side of the foliage.

"Nabiki?" Akane said in fright, recognizing the voice. She immediately ran to go help her, having to run around the new trees and shrubs of course. Ranma followed after her and the others followed after him.

When they stopped they saw a large group of old world monkeys harassing some of the students and faculty still on the gradually terraforming school grounds. Nabiki was one of them, having her hair pulled by a monkey that looked like it wanted to make her go bald but was probably just trying to groom her for parasites, but Nabiki was putting up a fight so it was too.

There were a variety of monkeys here, with different styles of fur, color, body size and even tail length, though no single species could be identified. Some of them were black, dark brown, red, orange, or yellow, but none of them looked native to Japan. And right now they were terrorizing people in various ways.

Seeing Nabiki try to literally get a monkey off her back, Akane rushed forward and grabbed her mallet. With lots of experience she had no trouble sending the primate flying. "Are you okay Nabiki?"

"No I'm not okay, I was just attacked by a monkey. Where did these things come from anyway?"

"It's all Ranma's and Shampoo's fault." Akane stated in frustration.

"No it's not!" Ranma yelled.

"Actually Son-in-law, it is, but not for the reasons she thinks it is." Cologne told him.

"What's going on here?" Nabiki asked again, this time looking towards the Amazons.

"I'll be happy to explain somewhere much less chaotic than here." Cologne told the mercenary, as the monkeys were getting outside the school grounds, following the fleeing people. The plants were spreading too, growing around or over the construction of the city.

Before anyone could say another word, Shampoo found herself pushed down with her face on the ground by a sudden and quite heavy attack from above. Had she not been a martial artist her spine might have been broken from it.

Ranma turned to her as soon as he heard her surprise cry and saw off all things a large orangutan on her back, and it looked just as feisty as the previous monkeys had been. The orange ape was roughly the size of an ox and it pulling at her hair and silk clothes as if it would garner something from the act. Shampoo struggled to get free but the weight was too much for her to get out from under it. It was like having Genma as a panda sit on your back.

"Hey! You get off her!" Ranma yelled and he got ready to knock the ape off the Chinese girl. But as soon as he did, the orangutan grabbed his fist and clenched it, and even Ranma winced a bit from the tight grip. The orangutan then pushed him back and let go, and before Ranma could react it grabbed Shampoo and climbed into the trees. The girl struggled but her body hurt too much for her to put all her usual force into her hits.

After rubbing his hand in an effort to sooth it, Ranma jumped into the trees. A few more monkeys got in front of him but he kicked them out of the way effortlessly. In moments he landed in front of the orangutan, which was sitting in a high branch looking quite relaxed. When the ape saw him it held out Shampoo with one hand, hanging her by her arm as if threatening to drop her if Ranma made a bad move. Surrounding the orangutan were several more monkeys looking a lot like they were working for the orangutan.

'Great, Shampoo's been taken by the monkey yakuza.' Ranma groaned.

Shampoo was struggling to get out of the orangutan's grip but it was as tight as ever. Her chui were on the ground so she couldn't use them, but fortunately Shampoo wasn't dependent on a weapon to fight. She swung in place using a pendulum effect to strike a two-footed kick to the orangutan's face, and considering her hits were strong enough to break walls this one had a good effect. The orangutan snarled in pain and let her go, and Shampoo twisted in the air to land on a branch rather than fall to the ground.

Ranma jumped down and landed beside her. "You okay Shampoo?"

The purple-haired girl was holding her right shoulder and grimacing but she nodded. "Yes, Shampoo okay." Her voice was as strained as her expression.

Ranma quickly realized what was hurting her. "You dislocated your shoulder in that move didn't you?"

"Had to do to get away. No one ever say martial arts be painless." Shampoo stated.

The monkeys surrounded them right away and right now they had the advantage of numbers and environment. The two teens stood back to back ready to fight them off. The monkeys pounced at them both and the two struck back, their fists stronger than the monkeys.

Unfortunately for Shampoo she could only use her left arm so a couple of monkeys got her on her right, biting and tearing at her skin and clothes. When she tried to get them off with her left arm, they targeted that one too. Fighting monkeys was apparently not the girl's forte.

The orangutan wasn't out of the question yet either and tried to attack them again, but this time Ranma was ready for it. He wrapped his arms around shampoo's waist and leaped out of the tree before it could land on them. He ricocheted off another tree to slow down his descent and landed safely on the ground, and once there he grabbed the monkeys clinging to Shampoo and threw them away.

"Thank you Airen." Shampoo said with a smile despite her shoulder. "Can Airen put Shampoo's arm in place?"

"I'll try but it's gonna hurt like hell." He warned.

Shampoo picked up a broken branch and bit down on it then nodded, signaling she was ready. Remembering one of Genma's lessons in self-care, Ranma grabbed Shampoo's upper arm and raised it to be held out straight horizontally. Applying pressure to her shoulder while keeping her elbow straight he worked her arm back into its socket, resulting in an audible popping sound and Shampoo biting down on the branch harder.

While she waited for the pain to pass Ranma looked around to see how everyone else was, but by now the school was cleared and even Akane, Nabiki, and Ukyo were gone.

"I took care of the orangutan but we should still go somewhere else now." Cologne told them approaching from behind. They turned towards her and saw the game held under her arm and the orangutan down on the ground passed out. "Let's head back to the Nekohanten."

Neither teen argued and quickly left with the Amazon elder.

Two minutes after they left Principal Kuno came running out of the school as well, last person to do so. He paid no attention to the new flora on school grounds, focusing only on outrunning the tiger behind him. Said animal stepped out of the building, feeling quite at home now thanks to the scenery, and purred in contentment.

* * *

Mousse was clearing a table when the door burst open and he looked he was glad to see his love interest had returned, and infuriated to see his rival for her heart come in with her. "Saotome what are you doing here?"

"Quiet Mousse, now is no time for your delusions." Cologne warned him before turning to Ranma. "Son-in-law wait here while I go ensure Shampoo's arm is properly set." She decided not to mention Shampoo also needed a change of clothes too.

Ranma nodded and the two women went to the back of the store, leaving him with the rival who probably carried his weight in weapons on him right now and had no qualms about using them on him.

Mousse crossed his arms and glared at Ranma, and with his glasses on for once he was glaring in the right direction for once. "Why were you with Shampoo just now Saotome?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you Mousse and we both know it." Ranma answered, not intimidated.

"You're right, I probably wouldn't. But go ahead and humor me."

"Alright, one of my rivals came to me to challenge me to a board game." Ranma started.

Mousse looked confused. "A board game?"

Ranma nodded. "I know, I think it sounds stupid too but me and Shampoo ended up starting it and now... apparently the game comes to life."

Mousse narrowed his eyes. "How big a fool do you think I am Saotome?"

"See for yourself. It's Shampoo's turn to roll the dice anyway."

"And where is this magic board game Saotome?" Mousse asked, clearly showing he didn't believe the story still.

"The old ghoul has it. You know Mousse, you turn into a duck so you shouldn't be so quick to say something is impossible." Ranma told him.

"By that reasoning I should believe whatever I'm told." The Chinese boy retorted.

"Good point."

Shampoo came back out front rotating her right arm slowly to get it normal again, and Cologne stood in front of her facing the two males. "Shampoo's arm is better now, though I don't recommend she use it too much for the rest of the day."

"What happened to her arm?" Mousse asked.

"She dislocated it trying to get away from an orangutan." Ranma answered.

"An orangutan?"

"I'm not lying."

"Airen tell truth Mousse." Shampoo interjected, no longer flexing her arm.

Mousse looked at Cologne and saw her holding something made of wood. "Is that the magic game?"

"Yes it is. And it's Shampoo's turn to play. But not here. I'd rather not deal with something from the jungle appearing in my residence." Cologne responded.

Ranma nodded. "Could we stop by the Tendo's first? I should let them know what's going on."

"You mean try to set things straight with Akane, right?" Cologne asked.

"She's got the wrong idea about this and she needs to know what's really going on." Ranma told her.

Cologne lightly shook her head. "Son-in-law, your intentions are noble, but do you think getting her to listen will be easy?"

Ranma mentally groaned. "I know it won't. I know that Akane's never bothered listening to me before making up her mind, I know everything you want to tell me, but I have to at least try to make things right. I'd hate myself if I didn't even try." He looked at Shampoo. "Like when you offered me the favor earlier this week. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't make an effort."

Shampoo reluctantly nodded, reluctant because she felt like she was basically telling him to go to Akane and try to make their relationship smooth again. But she couldn't argue his claim, for she understood his desire entirely.

"Alright Son-in-law, let's go warn the Tendo's of what's to come so we can avoid any fatalities from this game. It was something I already intended to do anyway. But before we do, let me remind you of one very important thing." Cologne told him. "This is one obstacle you cannot overcome without Shampoo. You and her are the only ones who can return everything to normal. For the time being working with Shampoo and keeping each other safe from the threats to come should be a bigger priority then whether or not you're on Akane's good side."

Ranma took in this warning and slowly nodded. 'What we've seen now is probably just the beginning. And those monkeys weren't attacking just us, so everyone's in trouble now. I have to face this with Shampoo and if Akane doesn't like that then this time I'll say too bad. This isn't just about me or her or anyone else anymore.'

"Ready to kick this game's ass Shampoo?" He asked her enthusiastically, like he did wherever he was confident he could win.

Shampoo smiled and pumped her fist. "No stupid jungle beat us."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Not for the first time Ranma went to the Tendo residence with some hesitance. 'I can only hope that Akane was speaking in anger again and won't seriously kick me out over this. Even if she tried, she's not the one in charge here, her father is. Then again I don't think I've ever seen Mr. Tendo bother to control either of his daughters. Guess there's no way to find out what's going to happen until I see them.'

He opened the door and strangely saw no one right there waiting for him. "Akane? Nabiki?"

At that moment Akane showed up and she was still fuming. "Ranma, I thought I told you not to come back here."

Ranma looked firmly at her, refusing to back down right now. "Akane, last time I checked you weren't the adult here. Your father was."

"I'm more of an adult than you are." Akane countered. Shampoo scoffed, earning her a dirty look from the young Tendo. "Got something to say to me you skank?"

"Yes, if you want Airen gone for real now, then give up engagement. Once and for all."

"You don't tell me what to do you bimbo!" Akane yelled.

"Akane, she's right." Ranma said surprising everyone. "You can't kick me out AND still keep a claim over me. That's not how it works. If I leave here because of you, then you can't do anything to me ever again. And if you try, _I'll_ call the police on _you_ for harassment. Got it?"

Feeling challenged in a bad way, Akane resorted to her usual failsafe of bringing out her mallet to send Ranma flying. But before it could impact him, Shampoo blocked the wooden hammer with her chui, bringing it down to the floor. Akane had yet to let go of the weapon and was vulnerable to a follow-up attack from Shampoo who kicked her in the stomach, making her collapse. Having received no training in enduring damage, only delivering it, Akane was down for the count but not unconscious.

The sounds of fighting drew the attention of the rest of the household and they were shocked to see Akane hurt. "Ranma! How dare you attack my baby girl!" Soun shouted, angry tears going down his face.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Sure, blame it on me. Never mind the girl who's actually holding a weapon and standing right next to Akane, it _has_ to be my fault."

"Don't take that tone with me boy."

"Or what? You're going to kick me out too?" Ranma challenged, his patience getting thinner with each remark he heard.

"If you don't apologize to Akane I just might." Soun claimed with crossed arms as Akane slowly got back on her feet.

"Apologize for what? I didn't do anything!"

"You lied to me, cheated on me, endangered my sister, and you let one of your floozies hit me! You're a complete bastard! Screw your apologies, just go die in a gutter somewhere and leave me alone!" Akane yelled just before she grabbed her mallet for one more attempt to hit her fiancee, if he was even still that.

This time Ranma blocked her. He grabbed her arm then using her momentum he swung her over himself and made her land hard on her back, which she couldn't get from right away. He then stood over her condescendingly. "Akane, I've put up with your crap because I thought I had to. But if I'm not your fiancee anymore, then there's no reason I have to put up with your temper tantrums."

"Ranma don't be an idiot. Apologize to your fiancee right this minute." Genma ordered.

The younger Saotome looked at the older one without fear. "What if I don't?"

Genma was unprepared for that. "Excuse me?"

"Maybe I feel I'm the one who deserves an apology. What do you think about that?"

"Don't be stupid. You need to apologize boy if you know what's good for you." Genma threatened.

"You mean what's good for _you_, don't you?" Ranma asked back surprising his father. "You're not concerned about me or Akane, you're just afraid that if I'm kicked out you'll be kicked out with me."

Cologne grinned. 'Looks like my talk with him had an impact after all.'

-Flashback-

It was the night Shampoo was being treated for her snakebite and Ranma and Cologne were currently getting something to eat. They had settled for some bentos and were seated on a park bench.

"So how exactly am I supposed to fix everything while keeping honor intact if you're so smart? And don't try telling me marrying Shampoo is the only option." Ranma asked the old woman.

"I won't, but Son-in-law I must warn you that you may not like what I'm going to tell you. But you must be aware that there is no painless answer to your problem. Someone is going to get hurt, that is inevitable. Before I can explain my thoughts Son-in-law, you must answer one question of mine. What is honor?"

Ranma blinked at that. "Honor is what strives a martial artists to do his best."

"Wrong, honor is supposed to do that, but it doesn't automatically do it." Cologne corrected. "Take Mousse for example, remember the battle where he would get a date from Shampoo if he won? And you were told to just let him win? Your honor prevented you from doing such a thing and you assumed his honor would prevent him from accepting such an empty victory. But did he?"

Ranma shook his head. "No, instead it only made him want to end the battle sooner. He even told me to lose on purpose."

"Because he was more interested in _if_ he won then _how_ he won. And Ryoga, remember I taught him the Bakusai Tenketsu, giving him the impression that if he were to hit you with it you'd be turned into a flesh bomb. He showed he had no problems with the idea of killing you in such a manner. Is that honorable?"

Ranma shook his head again and Cologne continued. "What about Happosai who doesn't understand the concept of personal space? Or the panda who engages you to a second girl then steals from her? Or the Kuno boy who from I've been told started something he had no right to start? Or-"

"Alright alright you made your point. Not every martial artist is honorable. But I like to think I am at least." Ranma interrupted.

"And why is that? Tell me what exactly makes you honorable Son-in-law. To the others, honor is ends justifying the means or might making right. What makes you different?"

Ranma decided he had to actually think this one over rather than just say the first thing that came to mind. "I guess honor is keeping your word then."

Cologne nodded in understanding. "That's acceptable, but it makes me wonder something you should probably hear. You may not like this, but please listen if you want to learn anything." He nodded slowly so she continued. "Honor is about keeping promises right?" Ranma nodded again. "So tell me, who exactly promised you would marry a Tendo?"

"Huh?" Ranma asked, not expecting that. "Umm... my old man and Mr. Tendo made a deal-"

"It was your father that promised such a thing would happen. Did _you_ ever make such a promise?" Cologne interjected.

"But-"

"Son-in-law, did you yourself ever make that promise?" Cologne repeated.

"No, I didn't. But it doesn't change that the promise exists." Ranma claimed.

"No, but it does affect your role. You admit you didn't make the promise so why is it up to you to make it work while your father, the one who actually made the promise, doesn't have to do a damn thing? You made no such promise, so your honor can't be stained by you not doing anything about it."

"But it's not that simple. My family's honor would be stained until it was resolved and so would the Tendo's." The pigtailed young man told her.

"Son-in-law, I admire your desire to do the right thing, but I don't think you know what the right thing is." The Amazon matriarch told him. "Think about this, your father promised you to the Tendo's, then from my understanding he went and engaged you to another family and stole from them. And now rather than fix the mess he himself created, he expects you to shoulder that burden alone and choose which one of the girls to marry. And not only that, he's trying to force you to decide one over the other. I think it's obvious which one he wants you to marry, but in either case you yourself are being forced to fulfill promises you never actually made."

"But if I just ignore them-" Ranma tried to say.

"What's the worst that can happen Son-in-law?" Cologne asked before putting a piece of sushi in her mouth. "Tell me, what do you think will happen if you say no to your father regarding this?"

"He'll fight tooth and nail over it and say I have no choice."

"Once he gave you another fiancee he gave you a choice, including the choice to refuse both." Cologne said.

"But refusing these promises would be dishonorable." Ranma stated.

Cologne raised an eyebrow. "Any more dishonorable than engaging your son to two different women and not saying a word about it until he has to see them years later? Or taking a dowry and running off? Tell me Son-in-law, do you have any idea why your father made those promises in the first place?"

"Well the first one was to unite the schools."

Cologne shook her head. "That might be part of it, but the panda's actions and inactions tell me otherwise. I might be wrong, I'm willing to admit that, but from what I've seen and heard your father is only looking out for his own interests here."

Ranma suspected that too, but because Genma was the only family he had he wanted to give his father the benefit of the doubt. "And what makes you think that?" He asked with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism before eating some rice.

"Think about this, your father gave you two fiancees, neither of which you got a say in having nor made promises to. Normally a parent in this situation might stay out of it and let you work things out yourself, but the panda hasn't. Instead he's been pushing you on the Tendo girl even when he knew the Kuonji girl had a valid claim. Has he ever stressed to you any importance in marrying her?"

Ranma shook his head as he finished chewing. "No, not once."

"But was she not also promised you as a husband?"

"Yeah but... not by me. I didn't even know she was a girl when that happened." He chuckled sheepishly at his own blunder.

"Still, she was promised something. By your own logic you owe her as much as you owe the Tendos. Yet you prioritize the Tendos. Why? If not personal feelings for Akane then why?"

"Because me and Pops are living there. It kind of comes with the set-up." Ranma replied.

Cologne nodded. "I understand, but still my point remains. He has been pushing you to favor Akane over the Kuonji girl, and there's only one reason I think he would do so. It's not because of honor, but because it benefits him. Son-in-law, what would happen to your father if you did marry Akane?"

"He'd probably just keep doing what he's already doing." The teenage boy answered.

"You mean be lazy, play games, and drink until he passes out." Cologne clarified, but her audience did not object. "And what would happen to him if you were to marry the Kuonji instead?"

Ranma looked confused. "Wouldn't it be the same?"

The Amazon elder shook her head. "Not at all. That girl lives in a restaurant, a place of work. So if he were to still live with you, he would be expected to work. And if he didn't live with you, he wouldn't be a guest in the Tendo house anymore without you. He would be a resident like the others and therefore expected to pull his own weight in order to keep staying there without you to fulfill his obligations for him. Basically, he needs you to marry Akane so he can live as he wants. Honor is the least of his concerns if you ask me."

Ranma was stunned to hear this and while he didn't want to believe it, deep in his mind he couldn't deny that the old woman's words did make sense to him. Genma had made a lot of poor choices in his life, but could he really be setting Ranma up just to give himself a life of no expectations?

The sad thing was even with the benefit of the doubt Ranma did not find that hard to believe.

"Let's suppose you're right. How exactly do I fix everything?"

Cologne finished off her bento and smiled. "You don't. Let the panda deal with the messes he created and you deal with the ones you created. That should be honorable enough and anyone who says otherwise is just looking for some personal gain in all this."

Ranma finished off his bento too. "What messes have I created? Just so I know what you have in mind."

"I can think of two for now. The simple one is your bond to Shampoo. Unlike the other engagements, you are directly responsible for that one. You were ignorant of our customs, that can be understood, but the fact remains that you are the one that interacted with Shampoo instead of your father. So technically speaking your 'debt' to Shampoo for lack of a better term is stronger than the debt to the Tendo's and Kuonji's ever was."

"But I never actually challenged Shampoo to a fight as a male. It wasn't an official fight." Ranma declared.

"I know, she told me of that. But remember, Shampoo didn't _have_ to give you the Kiss of Marriage and she didn't _have_ to come back to Japan to confirm your gender. She did those because she wanted to. Don't ask me why, only she can answer that."

"The other mess is your interactions with Akane." Cologne continued. "But it is one you can fix easily if you let yourself do what needs to be done."

Ranma was confused but curious. "Such as?"

"Akane's bad attitude towards you stems from your bad communicating skills as well as her bad listening skills and short temper. While I can't help you regarding her trust issues, I can help you regarding her hitting you. My advice is to just stop letting her hit you."

"I don't let her hit me." Ranma objected out of pride.

"You never block her, you make attempts that are certainly below your skills to dodge, and no one including you ever punishes her for this behavior. Sounds like letting her hit you to me. And if no one, especially you, ever stands up to her on that then why would she ever stop? By letting her hit you, everyone's just teaching her that what she does to you is appropriate."

"So you're saying I have to make her stop?" Ranma asked.

Cologne nodded. "It could be as simple as just stopping her attack and telling her no but you have to mean it for real. She may not like it, but she should in time respect you more for it. And if she doesn't and just gets mad at you for not being her punching bag, then maybe you're better off without her with or without honor."

"Without honor?" Ranma repeated, the notion alien to him. "That's not an option old ghoul."

"Alright Son-in-law, but if having honor meant being controlled by a father that used me as a meal ticket and married to a girl who only wanted me around for target practice, personally I'd say screw honor and make my own choices."

-End Flashback-

"Mr. Tendo, I'm not apologizing in any way until someone here actually lets me tell my side of the story instead of just assuming I'm guilty of something again." Ranma told the Tendo patriarch.

"Ranma don't be a fool." Genma warned but his son ignored it.

"Your side of the story? I already know what you've been doing so don't waste our time lying about it!" Akane claimed.

Ranma gave the youngest Tendo a flat look, almost disappointed even, and it made her briefly wonder if she had said the wrong thing in her haste. He then looked back at her father. "Mr. Tendo, I don't think me and Akane are ever going to work. I tried, but I'm not putting up with this from her forever."

Akane was wide-eyed, all signs of anger gone from her face and body. "Ranma, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I'm ending the engagement too Akane. Congrats, you're free from me like you always wanted."

Akane was in an emotional turmoil right then. Part of her was mortified, regretful even. She was only half-serious when she cancelled the engagement, just like when she had done it before when Ranma got her mad. She would let him stew in his guilt over his actions and try to make amends to her and things would go back to normal. While Akane didn't love Ranma, not yet at least, she felt deep in her heart that there might be a chance for them to be together much later on. She just wasn't ready for it to be official right away and she had to make sure everyone understood that. If she didn't, then her father would want her married too soon and Ranma would be expecting her to let him be perverted whether she was ready or not.

The other part of Akane was getting enraged by his rejection of her. Who was he to reject her? Virtually the entire male population of her school had tried for the chance to have what had basically been handed to him, and he was now saying _she_ wasn't good enough for _him_? What gave him the right to decide that? _She_ was the one who had been forced into this engagement without being asked, _she_ was the one who had sole say over if it was worth keeping. Not him.

Once the shock wore off, anger became dominant for Akane like it usually did. "How dare you, you gender-confused freak! You come here telling me to put up with your pervertedness and after I tell you to be a decent human being you tell me to get lost so you can be with some slut instead? A slut who's too stupid to even speak properly?"

Furious by the insult, both to herself and her loved one, Shampoo stepped forward in Akane's face. "Shampoo challenge you Violent Girl."

"Excuse me?" The short-haired Tendo asked.

"You fight Shampoo. Shampoo win, you lose Airen forever and take back what you say now. You win, Shampoo drop claim to Airen. Is okay?"

Akane smiled smugly. "Alright, you're on. I've been wanting to kick your ass for a long time anyway bitch."

"Shampoo can say same to you."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

In a matter of seconds everyone inside the Tendo house was out back, though few were anxious for what was about to take place. In fact the only ones truly anxious for the upcoming spectacle were Akane and Shampoo, but everyone had their own thoughts on this.

'Finally I can put this bimbo in her place.' Akane thought, eager to take down the Chinese girl and prove to her and Ranma who really called the shots around here. No part of her doubted she would win this.

'Violent Girl soon see what real martial artist like.' Shampoo thought, certain she would win but avoiding the mistake of assuming she couldn't lose. She had heard some details about Akane from customers that attended Furinkan but had only seen a few good hits in her direct observations. She was going to be prepared anything.

'I hope Akane doesn't get herself hurt.' Kasumi worried.

'I don't think this will go too well for Akane, but maybe she'll finally open her eyes after this is over.' Nabiki told herself.

Soun was too emotional to think straight, but the majority of his scrambled thoughts centered on his hopes that Akane wouldn't suffer here and Ranma does what had been expected of him all along.

'This is bad. If Akane loses Ranma will start to seriously believe he can desert her and if she wins he's going to resist his duty to wed her anyway until he gets some sense of satisfaction from her. My plans for retirement are in jeopardy no matter what happens.' Genma worried.

'I don't know what to say here. I don't want Shampoo's claim to Saotome to be stronger but I can't bring myself to wish her defeat either.' Mousse debated with himself painfully.

'I don't like the idea of these girls fighting over me, but I suppose this was inevitable and something the two of them need to resolve.' Ranma thought, keeping himself strangely calm right now.

'Shampoo's one step closer to achieving her goal, but still I better make certain no one can refute the consequences of this match.' Cologne concluded before facing everyone.

"Before this begins I believe that the stipulations behind this spar must be made clear to ensure that the losing side upholds the agreed upon terms." The Amazon elder informed everyone. "According to the statements made by the participants, if Akane Tendo should win then Shampoo will have to renounce her claim to have Ranma Saotome as her husband, and if Shampoo should win then Akane Tendo will have to renounce her claim to have Ranma Saotome as her husband. Is that agreed by the participants?"

Both girls nodded.

"I verify that Shampoo and myself will abide by the terms if need be. Will the Tendo family do the same if they are required to as well?" Cologne asked.

Nabiki nodded. "Yeah, I'll make sure of it."

Cologne arched an eyebrow, surprised at the declaration. "You will?"

"I understand your surprise, but I take debts very seriously. Not just the ones owed _to_ me, but the ones owed _by_ me and this won't be any different as far as I'm concerned."

"Even so child, the actual head of the family must agree for this to be valid." Cologne told the mercenary then faced the Tendo patriarch. "Soun Tendo, do you agree to uphold the terms if your daughter is defeated?"

The mustachioed man was in a moral quandary right then. A strong part of him wanted to say forget the terms and Akane was going to wed Ranma whether she won or not. His dreams were more important than some Amazon scheme. But unfortunately he had more to take into consideration than just his own desires. He was a respected member of the community thanks to his service in the Nerima city council and he always said the Tendo's were an honorable family. If it got out that he and his family had to make good on a wager and flat-out refused to, his family and his dojo would have a dark mark they might never recover from.

'Akane's self-directed training might not be enough for her so I have to at least consider the chance she will lose. If she does, all my dreams go down the... wait! The terms were just that _she_ can't marry Ranma. But as long as Ranma still marries one of my daughters then everything can still work out. I'm sure either Nabiki or Kasumi would realize how important it is to take the engagement. So win or lose, I can still benefit from this.'

Soun looked at the Amazon elder and nodded. "Yes, I will see to it that the terms are met if you meet yours as well."

Cologne nodded. "Alright. And since this is an official spar it needs rules. For rules how about anything goes but no property damage or landing outside the property line and no getting the audience directly involved under penalty of forfeit?"

"That sounds fair." Soun said. Those were rather standard rules for Anything Goes martial arts so there was no reason for Akane to not abide by them. "Who referees then? No one here is unbiased for the outcome."

"I'll do it." Nabiki offered. "I can at least be trusted to be professional."

"That works for me." Cologne stated. 'It's true. Soun, Genma, and Kasumi are too likely to be lenient to Akane in this and Mousse is unlikely to even keep his glasses on for this, and even if he did I'm not sure how he'd rule regarding the terms of Shampoo's outcome. Ranma is the prize and would feel put on the spot for choosing one of the two girls so his judgment would be questioned immediately, as would mine, so Nabiki is the safest bet here.'

With no objections Nabiki went to where one would expect a referee to stand. "You two aware of the rules and terms?" Both girls nodded, both looking ready to just get this over with. "Ready?" Nabiki said as she raised her right hand then quickly dropped it. "Begin!"

Akane made the first move, looking much like she did when she had fended off the Hentai Horde. But Shampoo did not respond as the many boys had done. She pulled out a single chui and hit Akane's left side with it, knocking her on her knees. Rather than follow up she stepped away.

"Hey that was cheating!" Akane announced bitterly, clutching her aching side.

"Akane, weapons aren't against the rules and it was a clean shot." Nabiki told her.

Akane got back on her feet and tried to take another swing at the lavender-haired girl. Shampoo countered by blocking with the blunt end of her chui and while Akane's fists could break bricks, Shampoo's chui could break walls made of bricks too so her weapon was mildly stronger. Thus Akane's hand was the one to take damage.

Hurt but with nothing broken, Akane cradled her hand and fumed before following up with another hit from her weaker arm. Shampoo stepped back and put her chui away, even held her hands behind her back as if to say 'I will not fight you'. Akane tried again but the same thing happened.

'Weird, Shampoo's dodging and blocking more than fighting. Is she toying with Akane?' Nabiki thought.

"Dammit, stand still and let me hit you!" Akane yelled, currently frustrated beyond belief that her hits weren't connecting.

Shampoo gave her an 'are you serious' look. "Really? You hear self? You expect Shampoo to just stay in one place like tree and take hits? That no martial artist talk, that thug talk."

Akane fumed. "You take that back!"

"Make me." Shampoo teased as the fight resumed.

Ranma watched on with much interest, but most of it on their fighting styles than in the outcome. He had seen the two fight before, but in all but one case each (the Hentai Horde for Akane and the fight Shampoo had before she challenged female Ranma in China) he had been the recipient, not an observer. So now he got a good opportunity to simply observe.

'Akane's fighting all wrong. She's moving like she's fighting the Hentai Horde again instead of just one person. She swings her fists like she's trying to hit a group approaching her, and she puts virtually all her strength into her shoulders, ignoring her elbows completely. She could sure hurt Shampoo if she made one connect, but her moves are too readable.'

'Shampoo on the other hand is nothing like I expected. I figured she'd fight Akane just like any other girl she surely fought back home, but all she's doing is goading her and backing up.' His thoughts froze as something clicked in his mind. 'Wait a minute, is she...?'

Ranma felt compelled to stop the fight, but the second he made a move he felt a hand on his shoulder stopping him. To his surprise, it was Mousse. "Huh?"

"Saotome, they clearly have bad blood between them that they need to clear out on their own terms. You getting involved will only make that worse." The myopic boy sagely whispered.

Ranma lightly frowned even though Mousse had only told him the same thing he had told himself before. "You're just saying that because you want Shampoo to win." He whispered in return.

"Why would I want that? If she wins then the biggest obstacle to her marrying you is gone."

Ranma arched an eyebrow. "So you want her to lose?"

"I didn't say that either. I'm more of a forced neutral given the circumstances. I think the real question is who do _you_ want to see win?"

Even if Ranma could give an answer, he didn't have time to as Shampoo enacted what he feared she would.

"Hiryu Shoten Ha!"

Too late did Akane recognize the spiral that Shampoo had been moving in all this time and tried to jump out of the way but that action only helped the maneuver more as the swirling conflict of hot and cold battle auras swept her up further and lightly battered her as it did so. It was different than the one Ranma had made that she got swept up in before in that this one was weaker, but Akane was still powerless to defeat herself from it.

The Tendo's and Genma were horrified to see Akane swept up in this man-made, or more accurately woman-made, tornado while the Amazons and even Ranma were mostly impressed.

'Wow, she actually knows that too. Then again it's kind of obvious, the Old Ghoul is her sensei and has been for years. Right now I wouldn't be surprised if she knew the Bakusai Tenketsu and other things I've never even heard of before.'

Maybe it was seeing the attack, or putting that thought into words, or a combination of the two, but right then Ranma had an epiphany: Out of all three of his fiancees, Shampoo was the only one who took her martial arts training even close to as seriously as he did. Her home might not be as advanced as the rest of the world was, but it was centered around a warrior lifestyle and Shampoo was considered their champion. Not to mention she had honestly once installed in him the fear of death and had the skills to make such a fear justified. If anything, Shampoo was just as good a rival and friend for him as Ryoga was if not more.

Of course with that thought in mind Ranma couldn't help but think about how Akane and Ukyo held up in comparison to Shampoo in terms of skills. What first came to mind was both girls swinging a weapon at someone who had irked them, much like Shampoo using her chui so in that aspect the playing field was level.

He had seen Ukyo fight only once, and to be honest Ranma had not been impressed by it. It suited her, but the premise and tactics behind it were too gimmicky for Ranma's tastes. Her style felt more like it was meant to entertain or humiliate than it was to win, and the only reason Ranma had taken any damage at all was because he didn't want to fight his old friend. The moment he decided to, he completely dominated the match. He hadn't seen Ukyo fight seriously since then, never even train for a fight. For a girl who claimed to have spent years training for revenge against him, she sure didn't act like someone who put in a lot of effort. Heck she even gave up on it as soon as he called her cute, so she was a bit of a mystery to him. But one thing that was certain was that whatever the okonomiyaki chef wanted, martial arts likely wasn't a big part of it.

Akane was different. He had seen her fight and he had seen her train, the problem was he and her had different ideas of what was acceptable. Her idea of proper training was a jog in the morning, hitting bricks and straw dummies, and if need be hit people into LEO. To Ranma that was like cooking something using only half the recipe at best, an analogy that fit Akane quite well in Ranma's opinion. And if that wasn't bad enough, most of the time Akane blew this routine off if it got in the way of something else to do. She only jogged on days she had no school, and she hit things more to vent anger than to train herself.

To Ranma both of these approaches were abysmal, but he had no time to think about it further as Akane came crashing back down to earth, landing in the koi pond. Whether or not Shampoo had planned that was debatable, but it was better than any alternative landing spot available.

Akane crawled out of the pond aching and coughing up water as her family approached her, ensuring she was okay. Ranma however stayed back, feeling rather unwelcome in that situation.

Shampoo came right up to the pigtailed young man. "How Shampoo do Airen?"

"You did good as always Shampoo." Mousse said before Ranma could.

"Shampoo ask Airen, not you." The lavender-haired girl told the myopic boy.

"I'm impressed Shampoo. I have no idea you could do that." Ranma told her.

Shampoo beamed at his praise. "It was weak move, Violent Girl not strong enough to give much battle aura beyond anger. But it do job."

"You bitch!" Akane screamed, making the group look towards her. "How dare you do such a thing to me?!"

"I was under the impression that Anything Goes meant exactly that." Cologne answered for her great-granddaughter.

"She's right Akane, it wasn't against the rules." Nabiki told her sister who didn't want to hear that.

"She should be disqualified for trying to kill me like that!" Akane argued.

"Trust me Akane, if Shampoo was trying to kill you you'd know." Ranma told the youngest Tendo, having been on the receiving end of actual killing intent from the Amazon.

"Don't you dare take her side on this you jerk! You're supposed to be on mine!" Akane yelled.

"Why Akane? Why am I supposed to be on your side?" Ranma calmly challenged, waiting for her answer.

Everyone else waited too, wondering what the young girl was going to say. Expected answers ranged from 'I thought you loved me' to 'I said so', depending on the one expecting it. But the one Akane gave was none of those.

"That doesn't matter. Now apologize to me and get rid of these lousy Amazons and maybe I'll let you stay here a little longer." Akane declared.

With that, Ranma came to the only conclusion he could. While he cared for Akane, and he knew on some level of her mind she did too, she wasn't ready to show it. Neither was he, but his only crime was not admitting it. Akane on the other hand actually made it a point to declare she felt nothing for him except contempt, tolerance at best. Maybe someday both of them would be ready to properly show their feelings for each other, if they learned to work at their relationship rather than against it. He just had to ask himself one question: Was the waiting worth it?

One look at Akane told him his answer.

"No."

"What?" Akane asked.

"I said no. I told you I'm not putting up with any of this from you anymore Akane." He told her. "I'm not ready to get married and neither are you, but it's clear that even if you were I'm not the kind of guy you'd want to be married to. And right now you're not the kind of girl I'd want to be married to either. I don't know what kind of girl I want, but right now I've got something more important to take care of."

"Nonsense! Honor demands you marry Akane boy! Nothing is more important than that!" Genma argued.

Soun nodded, tears running down his face. "The fight isn't over officially yet so you're still bound to her. Or at least one of my daughters should she be defeated."

Ranma then looked at the entire Tendo family and his father. "I came here to warn you all that a cursed game is transforming Nerima. That's why a bunch of trees and monkeys showed up at the school. Shampoo and I are the only ones who can handle this, but it's going to get worse before it gets better. Just be on your guards everyone, and if you can get out of Nerima for just a little bit and go somewhere safe that would be better."

"Why only you two?" Nabiki asked.

Shampoo held up the game. "It two-player game."

"Show it." Nabiki requested, wanting to see how it worked.

Shampoo set the game down and rolled as it was her turn. "Watch out for-" She was cut off as a black and white monkey jumped and landed right on the board game as the tiger figurine moved. Everyone jumped back a bit from sheer surprise, but that wore off quickly. "Shoo!" Shampoo said as she waved the monkey off, making it leave.

"What did the board say?" Ranma asked.

Shampoo looked at the glass panel, seeing words fade away. "Not know, phrase gone."

"Great, now it could be anything." Ranma groaned. He and Shampoo looked around for any sign of approaching danger, only to see the jungle plants that had been at Furinkan were now starting to encroach around the Tendo estate. "Are the plants following us or something?"

"Where did you get that game?" Soun asked.

"Ryoga showed up and wanted to use it against me. He got lost but left it behind and me and Shampoo wanted to know how he planned to use a board game against me." Ranma explained.

"If you didn't pick on him so much he wouldn't have to resort to this sort of thing." Akane cursed.

"For crying out loud Akane he yells out 'Prepare to die' every time he sees me. You've even seen him try to kill me. How am I picking on him?" Ranma argued, having enough of her nonsensical view of him.

"He does not!"

"Yes he does. You're just not always there to see it."

"Well you go too far in your fights."

"If I pick on Ryoga then you pick on Kuno."

"You take that back!"

Ranma held up his hands. "Wait, you hear that?"

Akane paused to hear what he was referencing, but all she heard was wind in the trees and some monkeys moving around. "There's nothing there."

"I hear it too." Genma said, making Akane doubt herself a bit.

"Same here." Cologne added.

Everyone remained silent, wondering what it was they were sensing.

"Look." Shampoo said, pointing at the koi pond. They saw the water slowly start to ripple more and more.

Cologne felt some tremors from her staff, implying a vibration in the ground. Off in the distance people were screaming and things were being broken, and a rumbling sound was getting louder little by little. Remembering one bad experience in her youth back when some cattle got spooked, she realized what the new danger was.

"Run! It's a stampede!"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

No sooner than Cologne yelled her warning did everyone forget the argument and run into the house. And in quite a hurry too. So much in a hurry that something was almost forgotten.

"The game!" Shampoo shouted just before she went inside, looking back and seeing everyone had forgotten to grab the game. Moving quickly she went back and picked it up, and heard the rumbling getting too loud for comfort. Panicked she ran back, where she saw Ranma by the door holding out his hand. She grabbed it and he pulled her inside just as the stampede made its appearance.

The wall around the Tendo estate burst open, revealing a set of Asian rhinos charging thru, followed by Asian elephants, running like they had to get somewhere in a hurry.

Everyone in the house watched in amazement and degrees of disbelief as a herd of animals charged right past them. The stampede was headed by the rhinos and elephants, mixed in with Chinese oxen and deer towards the center, and holding up the rear were Malaysian tapirs and Chinese cranes. A few of the cranes stopped to eat the koi in the pond before rejoining the herd as it charged through other people's yards and even houses.

Once the stampede was gone Soun with waterworks right on cue went out and looked over the wreckage that had once been his yard. In his daze he didn't even realize he stepped on some left behind dung until it was too late. No one wanted to guess what animal it came from, but size alone probably suggested an elephant. Groaning and shaking his foot, he saw something that made him fall to his knees in despair. The stampede had missed the house, but not the actual dojo.

Akane and her sisters went to their father, avoiding the dung and wreckage of course, and she screamed when she saw the rubble that had once been their fighting hall. "Our dojo! It's destroyed!"

"Well at least the house is still standing." Ranma offered.

Akane turned to him with a furious glare as if he had instead laughed at her loss. "This is your fault!" She yelled before she tried to mallet him clear out of Japan, only to be blocked by Shampoo who gave her a fist right to her face, knocking her across the yard and into a tree.

"Akane!" Soun yelled and went to go check on his youngest. He saw she was out cold from the hit, but otherwise fine.

Cologne stood beside a stunned Nabiki. "Well referee, I'd say that concludes the spar, wouldn't you?"

Once the mercenary understood the implication, she thought it over wondering if it was a valid answer. 'I suppose the match was never truly ended, just a momentarily intermission. And even if it had ended before the stampede Shampoo got in the last move, heck the only actual hits for that matter. I hate to say it, but no matter how you look at it Akane lost. Sorry sis.'

Nabiki nodded. "Yes, the winner by knockout is Shampoo. And with that, Akane's engagement to Ranma is officially null and void. But there's a problem. If I know Dad, he's going to say either Kasumi or myself will have to marry him instead."

Cologne just smiled. "Oh I'm not worried about that. I highly doubt either one of you would accept the arrangement." Nabiki shook her head. While she didn't hate Ranma, he had none of the traits she wanted in a real boyfriend let alone a future husband. And Kasumi already had her eye on someone so to force her to take up an engagement with another man would be just cruel.

"And am I wrong to believe the two of you cannot stand up to your father in that regard and make him listen to reason?" Cologne added.

Nabiki shook her head. "Oh no, the two of us have our ways with him. While Akane can only complain I doubt she would actually hit him; we on the other hand can back up our threats. No food and no money for alcohol."

Cologne smiled. "Be sure to tell your father. I believe we've taken up enough of your time."

"Wait, before you go what all has already been released from the game?" Nabiki asked.

"Going off what I've seen and been told, snakes, spiders, bees, a tiger, and you know the rest. I have no idea what's to come, as I've never seen this before, but the game says that if Ranma and Shampoo finish it then all this will go away."

"Go away to where? Where are these animals coming from?"

Cologne shrugged. "I have no idea."

Ranma approached Nabiki. "I'll go back up the rest of my stuff. It's clear I'm not welcome here anymore." Without waiting for a reply he went back to his now-former room with Shampoo following.

"Want help?" Shampoo offered when they went inside.

"Uhh, there isn't much to grab but sure."

No sooner did they put the last personal item of Ranma's in a makeshift knapsack did Genma show up looking anything but happy. "Boy what do you think you're doing?"

"What about you? I figured you would have chased after me as soon as I left but you're still here. What, your son vanishes and you just wait for him to come back?" Ranma countered.

"Of course I tried to go after you, but I found out I didn't have enough money for a train ticket to where I thought you were going."

"And four days later you couldn't think of another way to find me?" Ranma asked skeptically. "You swam across the Sea of Japan so don't tell me hiking to another city wasn't an option."

"Enough about me, unpack right now and go beg Akane to take you back."

Ranma frowned deeply. "Are you stupid? She lost the match. If anything she should beg me to take her back."

"Nonsense." Ranma just stared at Genma in sheer incredulity.

"No, you're the one talking nonsense Pop." Ranma countered, putting his face right in his father's in a challenging manner.

"Don't you take that tone with me boy."

"Or you'll what?" Genma blinked in surprise.

Soun chose that moment to make an appearance. "Ranma please take Akane back. My dream depends on you two being married."

Ranma redirected his frown to the crier. "What about my dreams? Or Akane's dreams? Don't they matter at all to you?"

Soun stammered for a moment. "But... but you two have always wanted what I wanted. To run the dojo and teach the arts while raising a family to give it to later."

Ranma's frown softened but did not disappear. "Mr. Tendo, I never said I wanted that. Not once did I say I wanted to be a teacher or have a family. For Kami-sama's sake I'm sixteen years old. I'm nowhere near ready to teach or have kids. I'm more interested in going out learning new techniques and finding new challenges to beat, not spending my days trapped in this house taking care of Akane and a bunch of students."

"But... but my dream-"

"That's just it Mr. Tendo, it's _your_ dream. Not mine. I've never even heard Akane say she wants that. And if she does want that, I think you should focus more on getting her straightened out than getting her a husband."

Soun frowned. "Don't talk about Akane like that!"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Oh right I forgot. No one's allowed to say anything bad about Akane. Heaven forbid she be treated as anything less than a princess with total freedom."

Maybe it was the stress of the game or Akane's bad attitude building up faster than it could be dealt with, or even some of Cologne's advice getting through to him, but Ranma was out of patience regarding Akane. He was tired of feeling like he was putting more effort into family honor than she was, he was tired of being hit so much and not allowed to defend himself, and he was tired of no one standing up to Akane and making her treat him as nicely as everyone expected him to treat her. For the most part, Ranma felt like he was just being used by the Tendo's.

'I had to ignore my real feelings for the sake of family honor, but if upholding honor means being used by people then forget it. Honor is supposed to be what separates the good from the bad, not what allows the bad to take advantage of the good.'

Soun looked mad enough that one could swear he was using his demon head technique without the giant aspect of it. "This is your last chance Ranma, apologize to Akane or else you will be forced to leave this house and never return."

Ranma just shrugged. "Fine then Mr. Tendo. But before I do, you better cancel the deal with Pop unless you want my old man to marry one of your daughters in my place. After all, aren't your dreams more important than any of theirs?"

Soun looked confused. "What are you implying?"

"You keep saying that a Tendo has to marry a Saotome no matter what, but if I'm not an option anymore than there's only one Saotome left. So does 'no matter what' still apply, or does that only apply to me?"

"I'm not an option. I already have a wife." Genma objected.

Ranma turned to his father in total shock. "Have? Not had? You mean my mom's still alive somewhere?" All this time traveling around he had assumed that his mom was dead, which is why he didn't think about her much if at all.

"Don't change the subject. You have no choice but to marry Akane boy. You've never had a choice in this and you're not going to be given a choice now. Now do as you're told and we'll all be a lot happier." Genma said, having lost all pretense at being fair now that Ranma was pushing him too much.

Ranma held his ground. "You mean _you two_ will be happier. You don't give a damn about if me or Akane will be happy. There's no way you two are stupid enough to believe once we get married all our problems are just going to magically disappear. You know what, even if I did marry Akane I'd divorce her the second she tried to mallet me or poison me with her cooking."

"You can't!" Genma and Soun shouted.

Ranma crossed his arms. "I can and will. Nowhere does it say I'm not allowed to get divorced."

Now Genma was close to have an aneurysm from his anger. "You ungrateful brat! You intend to blow off honor and my well-being? For what? To go play a game with this foreign slut?" He asked as he pointed at Shampoo.

All this time Shampoo had been overjoyed to see Ranma stand up to the two fathers, telling them what he had been suppressing in order to satisfy what they led him to believe was right. He was finally thinking for himself just what was or wasn't honorable, and decided their ideas did not fit his own and something had to be done.

Now she was pissed at her potential father-in-law, though she never intended to call him that outside of times where she had to be formal. Who was he to judge her? He knew nothing about her and made no effort to learn, yet he declared her something so vile all because he didn't want her to be the one his son ended up with?

"You just old fat man who want use own son. You least honorable man Shampoo knows."

Genma glared at the Amazon. "And what does a stupid girl from a backwater village know of honor? Do us all a favor and go home."

Shampoo frowned deeply. "No until game is over." She said, holding out the game she still had with her.

Acting on impulse more than anything, Genma threw a punch at the game. "Then let's get rid of this thing." However, before his fist could connect to the game, Genma was covered in a dark, leaf-green light that blinded the others only because it was so unexpected, not because it was so bright or anything. It faded almost as quickly as it started, and when it did Genma was a panda.

"Huh?" Ranma and Shampoo said, not understanding what happened.

"But there was no water." Soun pointed out confusedly.

Shampoo stared at the wooden board in her hands. "Did the game do that?"

Genma hurried downstairs right away, heading for some hot water, with Soun deciding to follow.

"Ready to go back out into the jungle?" Ranma asked Shampoo.

Shampoo nodded. "Airen, Shampoo proud of you."

"For what?"

"For no letting them make you submit. They want you act like pet, do as they say because they say, but you say no. You say that no what you want. That make you real man to Shampoo, man Shampoo likes."

Ranma arched an eyebrow. "You like a guy who fights back?"

"More guy that have courage to defend self, not take easy way out." She explained.

"Even though I'm basically doing the same to you and the old woman?"

Shampoo strangely didn't look bothered by his question. "Not want you fight us forever, but respect that you not just surrender all of sudden to us. You not like men who fail test."

Ranma looked confused. "Test? You've been testing me?"

Shampoo looked forlorn. "Great-grandmother explain it best. Please wait to hear it?"

Ranma thought about it and relented. "Alright Shampoo, I'll wait, but I want to hear the complete truth on what you've been doing regarding me and why you really gave me that marriage kiss in the first place. I need to know why you want me before I think about wanting you the same way. Fair?"

Shampoo nodded. "Fair."

The two grabbed everything and went downstairs. But before they reached the bottom they were stopped by Kasumi who stood nonthreatening in their way. "Ranma, I'm not going to ask you to stay, but before you go could you please make up with Akane?

Ranma looked ready to explode just then but for Kasumi's sake he did not. "Kasumi, I didn't do a damn thing to her this time. And if even you can't see that, then I'm leaving without another word to any of you."

"Ranma-"

"Tell me what I did wrong Kasumi. What exactly did I do that I have to apologize for?" He demanded.

Kasumi struggled to reply right away, and then she realized she didn't have an answer for that. Now that she thought about it, the only reason she even had approached Ranma on this was because Akane was unhappy, and apparently she too had fallen in the trap of assuming that meant Ranma was guilty of something.

'The only thing's Ranma's done so far was stand up for himself and defend himself for once when Akane tried to hurt him, and defending himself isn't a crime. Akane may be high-spirited, but she made all the first moves here, not Ranma.' Kasumi thought. "I'm sorry Ranma, I guess I jumped the gun on that one. But now that I think about it, you did lie about where you were going for the past few days."

Ranma shook his head. "I didn't lie, I really was working on my cat fear. I just didn't tell you how I was going to do it."

Kasumi realized he was right. "Even so, you hurt Akane with your sudden departure and led her to think you were being unfaithful to her. That deserves an apology if nothing else."

Ranma internally sighed, so tired of hearing that demand. "That's it, I'm done here. Even the nicest person in this family has to look for reasons for me to be the bad guy here."

"Ranma-"

"No Kasumi, I'm tired of being used by your family. Your father wants me to fulfill his dreams at the expense of my own, Nabiki wants me to make herself richer and I never see a yen of that money, and Akane's made it clear there's no future for us where I'm treated as an equal. If family honor means being your family's tool, then I'd rather be a ronin."

Kasumi looked a bit regretful to hear all this. "Where will you go after the game ends then?"

Ranma shrugged. "No idea. Maybe I'll go find my mom who's apparently still alive somewhere. After that, no idea. Maybe I'll even go back to China. Who's gonna stop me if I do?"

Kasumi saw he was serious and when she considered his point of view she couldn't blame him. 'Maybe I should have put my foot down more regarding how we treated him. Maybe I should have told Akane that she was in the wrong a couple of times instead of remained silent. Maybe then things could have worked out better for them. But now it's too late.'

The eldest Tendo daughter then stepped to the side. "Alright Ranma, and for what it's worth I'm sorry for what you've had to endure. There is no dishonor in what you're doing. I just hope my family can realize that too."

"Thanks Kasumi, though I doubt anyone's going to realize that on their own." Ranma said as he and Shampoo went down the rest of the stairs.

The first thing they saw was a wet angry panda. As soon as he saw his son Genma held up a sign. 'I'm still a panda. What did your game do to me?'

"No idea, maybe you shouldn't have tried to destroy it."

'Turn me back now.' Genma stated by flipping the sign around.

"Maybe stupid panda be person again when game over." Shampoo suggested, still miffed by his derogatory comments earlier.

Soun, empty kettle in hand, stepped towards Ranma, tears flowing down his cheeks. "Ranma, please reconsider. What would convince you to take Akane back?"

Knowing yelling was getting him nowhere, Ranma decided he had to say it in a way Soun could not refute. "Mr. Tendo, let's say you offered someone a prize if they beat you in a spar. If they lost, would you still give them the prize?"

Soun shook his head. "No. A cardinal rule of all martial arts is to the victor goes the spoils."

"Akane wasn't the victor, so why should she get the spoils?" Ranma asked.

Soun's mind froze, seeing Ranma point perfectly and realizing he was trapped, unable to counter it.

"Akane lost an official spar, by all rights she should uphold the terms. And yet you Mr. Tendo are trying to convince me, her, and everyone else here to ignore that. For what? So she wouldn't have to feel defeated? If she was a real martial artist she'd have to learn to admit defeat once in a while. I don't like losing either but it happens. She lost, she should suffer the consequences and maybe someday ask for a rematch."

Soun snapped his fingers. "A rematch? A wonderful idea. Can we do it now?"

Shampoo shook her head. "Not now. Game first."

Soun relented. "Fine, but once it's over I want a rematch right away."

"Only one rematch. No many fights until you finally win." Shampoo insisted.

"Fine." Soun said. 'I better prepare Akane, she's got only one shot at securing our home's future again.'

With that Ranma and Shampoo went out the front door. Once they did they saw jungle foliage everywhere, with a few monkeys in the trees and even some bees like from before. Standing out were Cologne and Mousse, waiting for them.

"Better hurry in case that stampede decides to circle back." Cologne pointed out.

"Alright, but not here. Where can we avoid the most damage?" Ranma asked.

"I think you're a little past that point Saotome." Mousse commented.

Ranma slowly nodded then perked up. "Ooh, I know a good place to go next."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

People in Nerima had a natural tendency to ignore the strange things going on around them. It made it easier to live in the area and stay out of harm's way. Nothing could be done to stop any of the troublemakers as no actual crimes were committed except for occasional property destruction and a notorious panty thief. Property was usually insured so that was one problem taken care of, but for all others it was easier and wiser to simply turn a blind eye to it.

However, right now Nerima was in a crisis no one could pretend wasn't happening. Jungle plants and animals were appearing everywhere while buildings were getting damaged or even destroyed by one thing or another. The smarter inhabitants were already leaving the city, and some of the braver ones were fighting back.

One such person was currently fighting off some monkeys and chopping some plants outside her shop. "Dammit! Get the hell outta here!" Ukyo shouted as she batted away the pesky primates with her battle-spatula.

After leaving Furinkan Ukyo had of course gone back to her restaurant to see if anything had happened there too. When she got there it was normal, but after thirty minutes monkeys had shown up and grass was growing everywhere it could get roots into the ground, and from there trees, bamboo and bushes were sprouting too, pushing the construction of the city out of its way or growing right over it.

Right after she hit an orange monkey away Ukyo heard a hissing sound below her. Looking down to her left she saw a snake slithering her way in the grass. She immediately panicked and whacked the snake away from her. "Snakes too? What could be next?"

The ground started to rumble and the monkeys fled. She turned and saw a large stampede of rhinos and elephants coming her way. "Me and my big mouth!" She shouted as she darted into her restaurant. "Ranchan wherever you are you better be finishing that game."

* * *

"Why exactly are we here Saotome?" Mousse asked when they came to a walled residence that looked like someone wealthy lived there.

"None of us care about who lives here and no one I know cares about them either. So if this place gets damaged by the game there's no loss."

"I doubt the people inside will say the same." Cologne commented.

"Then let's just consider this getting back at them for some things they've done to me over the months." Ranma stated.

Shampoo snapped her fingers. "Shampoo remember this place. This where take-out race finished."

Cologne started to remember. "Oh yeah, it is. Didn't the boy living here think you, Shampoo, and Akane had all come to confess your love to him?" Ranma grimaced but nodded. "Then perhaps using the game here wouldn't be uncalled for."

Mousse looked a little outraged. "Someone here too wanted to claim Shampoo for themselves?" A few blades came out of his sleeves making them look like claws and before anyone could stop him he charged for the door, intent on defending his turf so to speak.

"Warch out for the-" Ranma tried to shout, only to be cut off by the sounds of crashes, gears spinning, and some yells coming from inside the residence. "-traps."

"Stupid Mousse." Shampoo mumbled.

"My turn isn't it?" Ranma asked. Shampoo nodded and handed him the game. "No reason the guys living here have to see this." Ranma wasn't here to warn the Kunos or get them involved in the game, he just figured no one he knew would complain about property damage here.

Ranma opened the game and rolled the dice, making his dragon figure move and an inscription appear that Cologne translated. "More dangerous than they appear, they will come and you will fear. Shaggy coat and sharpened jaw, a fight with them will leave you raw."

"Why can't this thing just say 'This is what's coming be on the look-out for it'?" Ranma rhetorically complained.

"It wouldn't be much of a challenge if it did." Cologne told him.

A snort was heard which made the three get back on guard and look around. Coming out from behind the wall they saw a wild boar, and it didn't look like it was in a good mood. Ranma, Shampoo, and Cologne all had enough experience to know that wild boars were bad news. They were hard to hurt, easy to anger, violent when angry, and could outrun most humans, and if that wasn't bad enough they weren't strictly herbivores. Pigs, even domestic ones, had been known to eat human meat if it had been provided to them. Not to say they preyed on humans, which they didn't, but a hungry boar could gore a human until it collapses then take a few bites if it felt like it.

But none of the three were afraid of a single boar.

"Great, P-chan's ugly cousin shows up." Ranma snidely complained as he made a fist. Sensing hostility the boar made a series of grunts while ruffling its fur and in no time three more boars came up to it. Now the martial artists were more concerned.

Ranma's eyes darted towards the Kuno household for a moment then back at the boars, and he got an idea. "Follow me." He whispered to Shampoo before jumping over the wall.

'What he up to?' Shampoo wondered before following him, in turn followed by Cologne. Once again Shampoo made sure to remember that the game wasn't left behind.

The boars followed too, and while running they looked and sounded meaner. Ranma led them and the Amazons to a large pond in the back yard and stood waiting for them. The Amazons got to him first.

"Son-in-law, pigs aren't afraid of water." Cologne told him.

"I'm not using the water." He told them before throwing a rock in the pond.

A boar charged at Ranma who jumped to the side and before the boar could change direction a large alligator emerged from the pond and bit onto the feral swine. It didn't swallow the boar whole, just grabbed a hold of it and bit down hard. The boar struggled to get free but the alligator pulled it into the water where it wrestled its catch, trying to drown it. The other boars were now cautious and keeping away from the water and by default the humans.

"When did the game bring out an alligator?" Cologne asked.

"That wasn't the game. The family that lives here keeps it as a pet." Ranma corrected.

"Is that legal?" Shampoo asked.

"Nothing about this family is legal if you ask me." The pigtailed boy groaned.

"Who dares intrude in the house of Kuno?!" Tatewaki Kuno shouted as he came outside, alerted by the noise outside and the commotion created by Mousse inside. His eyes quickly locked onto Ranma. "Saotome, I might have known you'd be fowling up my residence with your putrid presence."

"Do you ever listen to yourself Kuno? Because you sound stupider each time I see you." Ranma taunted.

Kuno pulled out his bokken, ready to make his move. At the same time he noticed the boars and the approaching jungle plants. "What are you doing to my home foul sorcerer?"

Rolling his eyes, Ranma came up with an idea. "Hey Kuno, you really think I'm a sorcerer right? That I can use magic to make bad things happen?"

"What other possible explanation is there for what you've done in your time here?" Kuno responded, biding his time for attacking merely to see what Ranma was getting at.

"Then you shouldn't have made me angry all this time. Now you'll have to suffer for it." Ranma said then turned to Shampoo. "Roll now. If we're lucky whatever comes will get him instead."

Shampoo nodded and opened the game then grabbed the dice.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kuno asked, backing away from the boars that were giving him looks he didn't like.

"I already summoned those, now it's my friend's turn to summon something. Maybe next time you'll think twice about pissing me off." Ranma told him.

"Son-in-law, what are you doing?" Cologne whispered.

"Relax, nobody would believe what he says anyway so what does it matter what he thinks is true or not?"

The sound of Shampoo rolling the dice drew their attention. Ignoring the number she rolled as it didn't seem to make much significance to them, they waited for the cryptic warning of what was to come. "Once a month starting tonight, the full moon will not cast its light. Rain will fall, threats will rise, Nature will be your demise."

"So we're in for a storm?" Ranma asked, expecting something else. Living in the woods for a good portion of his life he knew storms could get really bad if you didn't have shelter, but they were in a city so shelter wasn't an issue here.

Thunder could be heard and everyone looked up, including Kuno. The sky began to darken with grey clouds that were forming fast, blocking out the sun. The wind began to pick up, and the boars looked bothered and ran away from the Kuno property, possibly to look for shelter in the jungle foliage.

"You now take control of the weather?" Kuno asked, then glared at Ranma and by association Shampoo. "You truly must be removed from this world Saotome, and your purple-haired sorceress!"

"What he just call me?" Shampoo asked, angry and wondering if she heard his Japanese right.

"Pretty much the same thing he calls me." Ranma told her as thunder went off again.

"Forget the names, let's get back to the Nekohanten and wait for the storm to pass." Cologne told them as rain started to fall.

The two teens nodded and closed the game, then Ranma changed into a girl while Shampoo changed into a cat, dropping the game. Ranma bent down to pick up the game and saw Shampoo, and because the sight of a cat was unexpected she panicked and froze, but did nothing else.

'Calm down, it's just Shampoo. She's not going to hurt you.' Ranma told herself, trying to squash her fear and recall the training to overcome her phobia. The white-and-purple feline had not hurt her before and wasn't going to now and she knew that, but that first impulse wasn't completely gone, just quieted.

"Pigtailed girl? Where did you come from?" Kuno asked, snapping Ranma out of her stupor.

"Great, even with me right in front of him he still can't grasp the curse." The redhead complained, then picked up Shampoo and the game.

"My radiant love, come seek shelter from this unnatural weather in the house and arms of your one true love." Kuno said, extending out his arms beckoning for a hug.

"Not even if it was the end of the world." Ranma told the kendo enthusiast before running off with Cologne.

Kuno was tempted to chase them down but the rain was getting heavier and the sky was getting darker. Some lightning even went off in the sky. While he wasn't afraid of the rain he sensed something dangerous about this one. 'A sorcerer's storm could be quite deadly. It could even rain blood along with pieces of human flesh. Damn Saotome, I have little choice but to let him escape until this passes.' He thought before going inside.

On the other end of the house Mousse was stumbling outside, unable to see since his glasses were broken. Too late did he hear the rain so he went out and became a duck before he could stop himself. Giving the duck equivalent of a groan, which sounded like drawn-out whiny quack, he took flight despite the rain and tried to find his way back to the Nekohanten, the one place in Nerima he had trained himself to find blind.

* * *

"Which way is Nerima?" Ryoga asked a random person on the streets who had been running like he was escaping something.

"Umm... this is Nerima." The person answered.

"Good, I'm back." Ryoga told himself.

"If I were you I'd go back where you came from." The person stated.

"Why?" Ryoga asked.

The person swung their arm to indicate the surroundings. "Look around you. Whatever's going on here I'm going to get away from until the authorities take care of it. If you were smart you'd be doing the same." With that they ran off like before.

Ryoga looked back at the city and saw jungle trees growing everywhere and the sounds of animals were everywhere along with frightened people. The clouds were also starting to get darker.

Nevertheless Ryoga smiled. "Looks like Ranma was dumb enough to start the game on his own. Too bad he's not strong enough to finish it. I wonder who he's playing it with. Maybe that Chinese girl he was with." A thought came to him that made his smile falter a bit. "I hope Akane's not hurt by all this trouble he's causing."

He started off again, hoping that his desire to find the aforementioned girl would again overcome his tendency to get lost. Sadly for him even if he had a great sense of direction he still had a curse and the rain fell before he could reach his goal, leaving a black piglet in the streets.

Which wouldn't be such a bad thing if he was the only animal out there now.

* * *

While Furinkan was already evacuated due to the sudden appearance of the jungle in Nerima, another school was already in the process of evacuating its own students. This school was St. Hebereke.

"Everyone return to your homes as quick as you can." The principal called out to the student body and faculty using a megaphone, holding an umbrella over her head. "Do not go anywhere else and try to avoid any places with unnatural flora and fauna. This is for your own safety."

Kodachi Kuno decided she had other priorities. 'I should see if my dear Ranma is in trouble from this catastrophe.' With that she started roof-jumping to find her target, ignoring the increasing rain.

* * *

The rain was coming down so hard that it was getting hard to see in front of you. As a result Ranma and Cologne had to stop under a bridge to get out of it just long enough to get the water out of their eyes and bangs.

"The rain can't last long Son-in-law, Shampoo, but we might have to wait it out before you continue the game any further." Cologne stated.

"What if rolling the dice will end it?" Ranma asked.

Cologne shook her head. "Somehow I doubt one move cancels out the previous one. Everything else in the game has lasted more than one turn. For all we know this will too, but probably not the entire game." 'And that saying has me worried, once a month starting tonight? Is the game assuming the players take a month to finish it? Or does it somehow make sure they can't finish it quickly?'

"Hey, Old Ghoul?" Ranma added, sounding like she had something on her mind. "Shampoo said something like she was testing me on something? Is there something else you haven't told me about your customs?"

Cologne looked at her cursed heir, who even as a wet cat looked concerned. "Let's save that for when Shampoo can talk in her own defense. And we can't do that until we get to the Nekohanten."

Ranma opened her mouth to reply, but she froze silently when a roaring sound was heard and her eyes widened. Cologne looked around and saw the canal the bridge was over was now flooding. Not just that, it looked like a dam had burst somewhere so there was a rushing wall of water heading right for them.

Immediately the group tried to escape from under the bridge. Cologne was closest to the way out so she got to the road without problem by jumping onto the bridge itself after rebounding off the inclined side of the canal. Ranma however chose to go over the fence separating the canal from the roadside, similar to how they got under the bridge in the first place. The moment Ranma set her feet on the fence railing the flood waters rushed by rattling the fence and by sheer bad luck dislodging the section she had been on, forcing the fence and Ranma back into the raging river of the canal.

The surging waters had Ranma let go of everything in her hands, so she fought against the current and looked for Shampoo underwater. She saw the cat struggling as hard as she was, harder because of her lighter body and shorter limbs. Moving with the water, Ranma reached out and grabbed the cat, pulling her closer to her then kicked to the surface.

"I got you Shampoo." The redhead reassured the purple cat, struggling to find a way out of the water. Unfortunately canals were designed to keep people from getting in or out so she couldn't see an emergency exit along the concrete sides. With the water level rising though there was a good chance she could grab something if she kept close to the edges.

"Son-in-law!" Cologne shouted as she raced to keep up with the aquatransexual being swept away by the flood.

Ranma looked forward and saw the water was rising enough that she just might be able to grab a hold of the next bridge up ahead of her and get out that way. Moving Shampoo to one arm Ranma reached up and grabbed the side of the bridge. She succeeded and had a good hold despite the current trying to take her away. With effort Ranma lifted Shampoo up and onto the bridge, freeing her other hand. Shampoo called out to Cologne to hurry and help Ranma out, as the redhead was struggling to get out completely and Shampoo lacked the means to help her.

Ranma's grip slipped and she was pulled under the bridge, effectively rubbed against the underside by the water but not in any lethal way. Ranma emerged on the other side but couldn't grab the bridge again in time and was carried away even further. Swimming with all her might, Ranma reached out and grabbed the chain-link fence now that the water was high enough, and it was beginning to spill out into the streets.

She paused to catch her breath, for being pushed around and under water was taxing even for a martial artist. Especially with a current involved. In that moment she heard a deep rumble behind her and knew it wasn't the river. Looking behind her she saw something that made her pale: an alligator, or maybe a crocodile, but who cared? There was one coming right at her now.

Ranma quickly climbed up the fence, reaching the top just as the alligator tried to bite her, just barely missing. Using the momentum she swung up and over and landed on the other side, with the alligator beating the fence trying to find a weak spot. The chain link wouldn't hold up forever, but Ranma didn't intend to wait long enough for the reptile to succeed. She fled to the other side of the road, getting some shelter from the rain under a tree growing between two buildings.

Cologne with Shampoo in her arms came up to the redhead girl. "Son-in-law, thank the gods you're alright. But we need to get to the Nekohanten before it gets flooded too."

Ranma nodded, wiping some more water out of her face. "Yeah, I'm like one splash away from hating water more than I already do."

Cologne then noticed something wasn't right. "Son-in-law, where's the game?"

"What do you-?" Ranma started to ask, but then noticed her empty hands. She gasped in horror. She had lost the game in the flood.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Ranma's immediate response was naturally to go after the game and retrieve it, despite the rain, flood, alligators, and whatever else might be in the water. Her body reacted right away, running back to the canal to jump back in, but Cologne hit her from behind, hitting a point to freeze her legs making her fall on the pavement.

"Ow! What did you do that for?" She yelled.

"Son-in-law, what you were about to do is foolish."

"But we need the game back!"

"I know that. But the odds of getting it back by jumping in the water are too slim to rush into. There is a better way to get it back." Cologne told her.

"If we don't get it now it could wind up in the ocean and we'll never get it back!" Ranma insisted.

Cologne shook her head. "We're too far away from the ocean for that to be of any immediate concern. But still jumping in the water won't do you any good. Why don't you go back to the Nekohanten with Shampoo and get warm while I try to go get the game back for you?"

"Why you? I can do it." Ranma objected, trying to fight the messed up nerves in her legs.

"Yes you can, but you can't do anything with the game until Shampoo is human again. I doubt the game would recognize a cat as a player. You two are better off getting somewhere warm and dry, so let me go retrieve the game for you." Cologne told him.

Lying down in the flood waters covering the street, feeling rain beating down on her, Ranma was inclined to agree. But her pride didn't want to. "I can still do it."

"Son-in-law, I'm asking you nicely to please take Shampoo home and get her out of the rain and to do so with yourself." The old woman stressed, trying to sound kind without pushing the issue. "Besides, there might be other things in the water besides gators."

"Then what makes you think you can handle it?"

"I've handled sharks before right in front of you. Do you really think an alligator or two is going to give me trouble?"

'She has a point.' Ranma admitted. "Alright, I'll make sure we both get there. But if you're not back in an hour I'm coming back here."

Cologne smiled. "Deal." She then undid the pressure point so Ranma could recover quicker. The aquatransexual was already recovering, but this way she'd be on her feet right away. "Here, you might want this." Cologne said before handing Ranma her travel pack full of everything she had taken from the Tendo house, something Ranma almost forgot back at the Kunos. "Wish me luck." With that she rushed down the edges of the canal, staying on the outside which was continuing to flood.

Ranma picked up Shampoo and stretched her legs to regain a sense of feeling in them, then ran off to the Chinese restaurant.

* * *

'What happened?' Akane asked herself as she regained consciousness. The first thing she noticed was a pounding headache, making her grab her head and wince in pain. 'Ow this hurts.'

"Here, this should help take the edge off." Nabiki's voice was heard. Akane opened her eyes and saw her sister seated on a chair offering a pill and a glass of water. Upon further observation Akane found she was in her room laying in bed on top of the covers with Nabiki at her desk.

"How did I get here?" Akane asked as she took the offering.

"I'm sure it will come to you soon enough."

Akane was gulping down the water to swallow the pill when Nabiki's claim came true. She remembered Shampoo's final attack, where the purple-haired girl got in a shot to keep Akane from hitting Ranma. The shock of the memory made her gag on her water for a moment, but she managed to avoid choking.

"You alright?" Nabiki asked as she immediately came over in case she had to perform the Heimlich Maneuver.

Akane coughed several times. "I'm fine. Not sure if I actually swallowed the pill though."

Nabiki quickly glanced at the carpet and bedding. "I don't see anything."

"Where's Ranma?" Akane asked, her mood difficult to read with her voice strained but Nabiki detected no hostility in it.

"He's gone."

"What?" Akane asked in shock.

Nabiki nodded. "He's gone Akane. You lost the match, so the engagement between you and him is gone. And with that, he doesn't really have a reason to stay here any longer now does he?"

"But... I didn't lose. Shampoo cheated." Akane argued.

"How did she cheat Akane?" Nabiki asked.

"She hit me when I wasn't expecting it." Akane explained.

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Akane, no judge in the world will call that cheating. In fact they'd call that one of the best things you can do in a spar."

"But the fight was already over and she attacked me without reason." Akane added.

"Without reason? Akane, you were trying to clobber Ranma because of what a bunch of animals did. Animals that appeared because of Shampoo mind you, not Ranma. She was defending him."

"But-"

"No Akane, not one word. You need to hear this. I'm not Kasumi so I'm not here just to let you vent and make you feel better. I'm here because you need to get a few facts straight, and who better to do that then me?" Nabiki interjected. She had specifically asked Kasumi to leave Akane alone until after she had a turn to approach their younger sister. Nabiki knew that Akane needed to hear a few harsh truths to understand the situation, and Kasumi didn't have it in her to talk to Akane in such a manner. Nabiki however did.

"Ranma came here to warn us about the game, but right away you were on his case about something as usual. With the fathers backing you up, Ranma got fed up and stood up for himself. You didn't like that and tried to beat him into submission only for Shampoo to get in the way. You challenged her to a grudge match and she accepted, and you two went outside and sparred. You with me so far?"

Akane nodded and Nabiki continued. "Now, did you ever actually land a hit on Shampoo in that spar?"

Akane recalled the exact specifics of her spar as best she could, but she couldn't recall a single instance where her attacks had hit their target. "No." She admitted shamefully.

"That's right. Shampoo on the other hand landed two hits on you before she showed us the game. One with her weapon and the other in that tornado move Ranma knows which briefly knocked you out. So if the spar ended at that point, by normal rules you lost."

"But she used illegal moves." Akane tried to counter.

"Illegal moves? Akane, even I know that the principle of 'anything goes' isn't limited to just one person. When a match is anything goes, that doesn't apply to just you. It gives Shampoo the right to fight as she pleases as well. There were no specified rules against weapons or ki tactics, so there were no illegal moves."

Akane hmmphed and looked away. "I would have won if she had fought fair."

"Akane, what are you more upset about, that Ranma's not here or that you lost to Shampoo?" Nabiki pressed, wondering what Akane's priorities here were.

"I... I don't really know. Why is Ranma gone? Why wouldn't he stay regardless of the outcome?" Akane asked sadly.

The mercenary girl gave her younger sister an 'are you serious' look at the question. "What did you _think_ would happen if you lost Akane? The terms were that if you lost you were no longer Ranma's fiancee. Did you really think that even if you lost Ranma would choose to ignore the terms and stick with you regardless?"

Akane looked down, fingers gripping her clothes at her knees. "He should have if he loved me." She whispered, but Nabiki heard it clear as a bell.

"Akane, look at me. Not the floor, look at _me_." She insisted, refusing to let Akane shield herself from what was to come. "Are you telling me that you thought Ranma would choose _now_ of all times to confess love to you? Even after everything you've done to him lately?"

"I haven't done anything to him." Akane replied.

"If you really believe that Akane, then something's wrong with you. Let's face the facts, as soon as he showed up you told him to leave and never return. Does that sound like someone who wants to hear him say he loves her? When he told you no you tried to hit him, and not for the first time. I don't know who told you that men like to be beaten up by women, but they were wrong. Even Kuno doesn't like it, despite what you may think. And worst of all, you actually said and I quote, 'go die in a gutter'. In what universe does that encourage a guy to give his heart to someone?"

"But I was just angry. I didn't mean any of it." Akane objected.

Nabiki didn't look at all convinced. "Whenever Ranma speaks in anger or jest you take every single word at face value. Why wouldn't he do the same when you speak in anger?"

Akane blinked a few times at that, and any response died on her tongue.

Nabiki used this moment of stunned silence to really drive her point home. "Even if you were angry that time Akane, you're angry with Ranma virtually every day. Why would you want to keep him around if you can't go one day without wanting to bash his head in? Obviously you don't love the guy, otherwise the idea of causing him physical pain would lose appeal, not gain appeal. And you do it so much that it was only a matter of time before Ranma realized that you're enjoying hurting him and he did something about it."

"I don't enjoy it." Akane stated.

Nabiki shook her head. "Don't give me that. I've seen you hit him enough to know how you feel about it. You actually look satisfied with your work after he passes out or goes flying. I've even you smile like you won something more than once. Not to mention the only times you ever apologized to him for it were the few times it wasn't on purpose."

"But he deserved to be punished."

Nabiki shrugged. "I think Ranma would disagree."

"Of course he would, but that means nothing."

Nabiki narrowed her eyes, making Akane wince a bit. "So his opinion on how you treat him means nothing?"

"That's not what I meant." Akane replied, wishing Kasumi was here instead. She was nicer to talk to about problems, she didn't make Akane feel bad about what she had done.

"Then what did you mean?" Nabiki asked, sounding like she already had a good idea what the answer was.

Akane struggled to phrase her answer the right way. "Ranma never admits when he's guilty, so he never thinks he deserves what's coming to him."

Nabiki still didn't look convinced. "Did you ever stop to think maybe sometimes he's right? That sometimes he's _not_ the guilty one."

"But he is always guilty." Akane impulsively insisted.

"Wrong Akane, and I can prove it." Nabiki countered. "Remember the time he was trying to get into the girls changing room at school and you thought he was just being a pervert? What was he _really_ looking for?"

Akane no longer looked so certain of her claim as she recalled that incident. "A now dried-up Nannichuan. But he-"

"And what about the time you ate the super-strength soba and he tried to warn you about the side effects? Did you at all consider he might have been telling the truth _before_ you grew whiskers?"

Akane looked a bit ashamed at this accusation. "If I did it didn't last long."

"I could go on, but I think I've made my point. You're not always right about what you accuse Ranma of, so why do you still refuse to at least give him the benefit of the doubt? Why is it every time he tries to tell you his side of the story you automatically assume he's lying?"

"He has lied. Remember the dojo destroyer incident?"

Nabiki looked irritated. "I'm not saying he's never lied to you. I'm trying to make you realize that he has been honest too. And that's not even the most important issue here Akane. What is it you actually want from Ranma? Do you want him to leave or do you want him to love you? Because you can't have both."

"I don't know what I want." Akane admitted.

"Well it looks like you've run out of time to figure it out. Because Ranma's decided he doesn't want to be engaged to a girl that enjoys hitting him."

"How do I get him back?" Akane asked as she started to shed tears, the seriousness of the situation she helped create finally becoming clear to her. 'I always thought that Ranma would never leave, no matter how violent I was. I thought that if he got tired of it he'd change and start acting the way I wanted him to act, I never thought he'd decide to go away.'

"Why do you even _want_ him back Akane?" Nabiki inquired, hoping she was finally making a breakthrough with her sister. "Are you going to now start treating him with kindness, or do you just not like the idea of him not being within convenient hitting range anymore? Which is it? What do you want him to be Akane? Your fiancee or your punching bag? Because he's not going to come back if you don't know what it is you really want."

Akane wiped her eyes. "I don't know. I don't want to marry him anytime soon, but if he changed and became better then maybe I'd consider it after we graduate or something."

"What if Ranma doesn't want to wait several years for you to decide to give him a chance? And why should he be the only one to change for this to work?" Nabiki asked.

Akane looked confused. "Why should _I_ have to be the one to change instead?"

"Why should it _have_ to be Ranma?" Nabiki repeated in order to get Akane to really think rather than just react.

Akane blinked twice. "Why would I have to?" She repeated again. "You, Kasumi, Dad, and even Mom always told me I'm perfect just the way I am. What needs to change?"

Nabiki looked sincerely surprised by the response she just heard. "Akane, we told you that so you wouldn't feel ashamed of yourself. It was never meant to be taken literally. Is _that_ the reason you're so judgmental of others? You took a pep talk too literally when you were a child and now believe everyone but you needs to improve?"

"I was just listening to what you guys told me." Akane whined.

Nabiki closed her eyes. "I know, but I think you listened the wrong way Akane. No one's perfect. You are a fine person, but that doesn't mean you are flawless and can do no wrong. If you honestly believe otherwise, then maybe you and Ranma are better off being apart."

Akane looked outside, seeing an aggressive downpour and even some lightning. 'Ranma, where are you? Are you ever coming back?'

* * *

Luckily the Nekohanten wasn't yet flooded though the restaurant had been cleared out of customers and workers with a closed sign on the door. Ranma tried to open it but it was locked. Shampoo jumped out of her arms and went around back, followed by Ranma to the back door where Cologne had installed a cat door. Shampoo went inside and with great effort unlocked the back door with cat paws after moving a stool next to the door. She paused only long enough to shake herself dry.

Ranma went inside and, after seeing the place was empty, she took off her pack then shirt and wrung it dry. She put the shirt back on but not the pack and shivered. "Man, I'm freezing to the bone now. Where's the tub?"

Shampoo meowed and led the redhead upstairs to the residential portion of the building. With her guidance it was easy to find the washroom, which unlike the Tendo's house had a western-style shower and bathtub instead of a furo.

"You first or me?" Ranma asked the cat. Shampoo meowed negatively and stepped back, telling Ranma she could go in first. Since she was the only one to have hands it was kind of a moot question anyway. Shampoo turned around for Ranma's sake so the redhead could take off her clothes without getting nervous then put them in a shelf and stepped inside, turning on the shower. At first the water was cold but it warmed up, turning Ranma back into a man. "Ah that's better." He said as he enjoyed the warmth.

To his surprise Shampoo jumped in the tub in front of him, getting wet and changed back to her original form too. And she was as naked as he was now. "Shampoo!" He said in shock, coming close to falling down and out.

"Shampoo cold too Airen." She told him as she scrubbed the hot water over her skin, which was covered in goosebumps like his. She was shivering badly and her lips were turning blue, just like he had been. Right now she wasn't coming on to him, she was just someone cold trying to get warm, just like he was.

With that Ranma straightened up. "Alright Shampoo, but could you at least face away?"

"Only if Airen wash Shampoo back." She said as she turned around, giving him an unavoidable view of her shapely ass. "No be nervous Airen, you see Shampoo body before."

"You just surprised me." He told her, trying not to sound too bothered. If anything he was more surprised by her boldness, especially since he had been taught girls were very conservative about their bodies. Akane sure reinforced the belief that the female body was not for the eyes of men, but Shampoo didn't seem to mind as long as it was his eyes on her.

Feeling warmer, Shampoo grabbed a bar of soap and washed herself tantalisingly slowly, hoping that Ranma was watching. While she found his shyness cute at times and took it as proof he did find her attractive, she didn't want him to be shy forever. It was something they'd have to work on, like his fear of cats.

She lathered up her front then held out the soap. "Airen get back?"

"Umm... sure?" He responded, taking the soap because he needed it for himself and he didn't want to be rude when she hadn't been rude first. He delicately moved the soap over her back and scrubbed the areas she couldn't reach, being careful to avoid her posterior and hips. After that he worked on himself while Shampoo began to wash her hair with apple-scented shampoo.

"I'm done." Ranma said, thinking extending his time here was too risky. Being around Akane had subconsciously taught him the more he was around one woman the likelier he was to get hurt for it, especially if it was somehow perverted. He stepped out of the tub and reached for a towel only to realize he didn't know where they were. Looking around the small room he found none. "Shampoo, where are the towels?"

"Towels?" Shampoo repeated, uncertain, before she stuck her head out from behind the curtain, her hair covered in foamy lather as she looked at the towel rack and sink. "Oh, towels kept in room. Shampoo forgot grab."

"I'll go get some. Which room?"

"Second one to end." The Amazon said before ducking back behind the curtain.

Cautious in case someone showed up, Ranma slowly left the washroom and went down the short hallway. He found the door Shampoo mentioned and opened it. He saw a futon, a dresser with a vanity mirror, a closet, and basic living accessories. 'This must be her room. It's not unlike mine back at the Tendos. Now where would the towels be?'

He didn't have to look long, since he saw two folded yellow towels right on top of her dresser. Wrapping one around himself he grabbed the other and went back to the washroom, but before he could open the door Shampoo beat him to it, again standing before him naked as the day she was born.

Heedless she smiled and took the towel, drying her hair first rather than covering her body. "Thank you Airen."

"Uhh... no problem. I'll just wait here if you want to go dry in your room and pick out some clothes to wear." He told her. Shampoo nodded then went to her room, closing the door. Ranma went into the washroom to finish drying and get dressed. 'I'm glad my travel pack is waterproof, otherwise I'd be stuck here without clothes with a girl.'

Somehow the idea wasn't as terrible as Ranma felt it was supposed to be.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Ranma had intended to only wait an hour for Cologne before going back out in the storm to go get her, but somehow he had missed that. 'Oh crap, I fell asleep.' He thought as he regained consciousness, feeling much better rested now. 'Wait, where did I sleep?'

He tried to sit up, but a heavy weight kept him down. Looking at his chest he saw purple-hair on him, and the memory came back.

-Flashback-

"Airen?" Shampoo called out, poking her head out of her room.

"Yeah?" Ranma replied, sitting down in the hall because he didn't really have anywhere else to be. He was just glad that his pack had held up and had some dry clothes to put on.

"You can come in if want, is okay."

Naturally the young man's first response was to deny the invitation, but he couldn't make himself say no. Once he thought about it, he realized he didn't really have a reason to refuse. 'It's not like Akane's my fiancee anymore, so she has no right to complain about anything. And I'd rather not wait out here in the hall doing nothing.'

With that he got up and went into her room. Shampoo was now seated on her futon with the blankets wrapped around her, her body still lightly shivering.

"You still cold?" Ranma asked, knowing it was a dumb question.

Shampoo nodded. "Airen keep Shampoo warm please?" She requested, moving the blankets enough to give Ranma a chance to get under with her so they could share body heat. In that moment he saw she was wearing teal pajamas, like she was getting ready for bed.

Feeling a bit chilled himself still despite the shower, making him wonder if the buildings heat was turned off or if the storm itself was making the whole place colder, Ranma chose to settle in under the blankets with the purple-haired girl.

-End Flashback-

'We must have fallen asleep waiting for the old ghoul to get back.' Ranma concluded. He glanced towards the window and saw the sun was shining brightly. 'Okay, the storm is over, but what time is it?' Looking around he saw a digital clock on the dresser that read 8:12 AM. 'We slept all night? Did the old woman even come back?'

Ranma made Shampoo get off him so he could get up and check for Cologne. Not seeing her in the room, Ranma exited the room and checked the rest of the restaurant, starting with the room at the end of the hall.

It was empty and half the size of Shampoo's room, and if the glasses and folded white robes were any clue this was Mousse's room. Ranma closed the door and walked away, briefly wondering where Mousse was too. Then he went downstairs, where he saw Cologne seated and sipping on tea. But there was one rather unexpected site, and that was Happosai across from her eating a cracker.

Ranma tripped over his own feet at the shock of seeing Happosai of all people here, and going downstairs while he was doing it only made it worse. And when he fell on his face on the hardwood floor neither of the old people came to check up on him, though they did acknowledge his presence.

"Good morning Son-in-law."

"Hey Sonny, sleep well next to a pretty girl for once? I knew you had it in you."

"What are you doing here you creepy lech? And did you find the game old ghoul?" Ranma yelled, trying to ignore the full-body ache he was feeling.

Cologne responded first. "Unfortunately Son-in-law, I could not track down the game."

"WHAT?" Ranma yelled.

Cologne looked strongly remorseful. "I don't know how I could have missed it but I did. It's possible I underestimated the size of the pipes in the canal or maybe the game is trapped underwater somewhere, but I couldn't find it."

"It's unlikely you will now anyway. Not without the pendant." Happosai added.

Ranma missed what Happosai said and just hit the floor in anger. "Dammit! We can't do anything until we get the game back!"

"Ranma, not all is hopeless." Happosai told him.

"What do you know you panty thief?!" Ranma glared.

Happosai didn't look affected. "I know all about Heian Conglin. You see, I once played the game too."

Ranma's anger disappeared immediately upon hearing that, replaced by stupor. "What? You played the game before?"

Happosai nodded. "Yep, long ago when I was eighteen. It's a long story, so go get your fellow player awake so you both can hear what I have to warn you about."

Ranma got up but he didn't look convinced. "You know after all the crap you've put me thru I'm not sure I'm willing to take advice from you on this of all things."

Happosai frowned deeply, so much so that even without his battle aura he looked intimidating. "Ranma, Heian Conglin ruined my life once. I'm not about to let it do that again, not if I can stop it. Think whatever you want about me, but when it comes to this cursed game I am more serious than you've ever seen me be before."

Somehow, looking at Happosai right then and there, Ranma could believe it. It was as if for once Ranma could believe Happosai was more than a short old man who liked young girl bodies and clothes a little too much for comfort. Ranma nodded and went upstairs.

Four minutes later he and Shampoo came down with Shampoo still in her pajamas. Happosai certainly was tempted to glomp her in his normal manner but he restrained himself with much effort.

"Go ahead and sit children, this may take a while." Cologne advised. Ranma and Shampoo sat down at the next table, chairs turned to face the two elders. "I tried my hardest to reacquire the game last night but the flood made that impossible. I am sorry. Fortunately the storm has passed although the streets are still flooded, but I suspect this wasn't a one-time occurrence."

"Why?" Shampoo asked.

"The inscription implied the storm would happen again if the game took a long time to complete. Not often, but again for sure. Anyway, while I was searching I ran into Happy and he greatly surprised me."

The two teens turned to the old man wondering how he had surprised the old woman. Happosai finished up his cracker before he answered. "I came right up to her and asked who was playing the game."

"Then I asked what game to test him after my initial confusion faded, and he knew I was bluffing. He even mentioned Heian Conglin by name and said he recognized what was going on and needed to know who was playing." Cologne continued.

"You know game?" Shampoo asked.

Happosai nodded. "It's the part of my life I'm the least proud of, but yes, I played the game myself when younger. The game... I'll never forget what it did to me. I had hoped it would never be used again. And yet fate saw fit for my disciple to become the next player."

"If you beat it I'm sure we can." Ranma claimed.

Happosai looked at him like he was about to give bad news. "Ranma boy, I said I played it. I never said I beat it."

That confused the two teens. "Wait, you found a way to stop playing?"

Happosai nodded. "Yes, and I've regretted it every day since. I wish I had finished the game instead."

"Why?" Both teens asked.

Happosai sighed. "Let me start from the beginning. I told you once that when I was eighteen I was in China, especially in Joketsuzoku for a time. Now, I wasn't exactly the most liked guy in the village..." He ignored the eye-rolls of his audience. "There was one girl who did like me. She was Soap, my first real love."

Shampoo suddenly felt she was supposed to know the name. "Why that sound familiar?"

"She was my sister." Cologne answered, surprising Ranma and Shampoo, who now recalled them name.

Happosai nodded. "Yeah, Soap was a fine young lady. Even more beautiful than Cologne was. No offense."

If Cologne was offended she didn't say anything about it. "She was beautiful, and quite gifted a martial arts too. Sometimes even better than me. Not something I was proud of given I was a year older, but she was strong. Her one flaw if I had to say she had one was that she tended to follow her own rules more than she probably should have." She gave Happosai a pointed glance, as if to implicate him in that point.

Happosai ignored it, but he did look guilty. "One day when we were on one of our dates outside the village, she suggested we play a game. She had Heian Conglin with her, she said it was a game made specifically for martial artists to challenge each other outside their comfort zone. Curious and not knowing any better, I went along with it. Then we found out exactly how Heian Conglin challenged martial artists."

"So this game does come from the Amazons?" Ranma asked, then looked at Cologne.

"Son-in-law I've never heard of the game before you two started playing it. I wasn't even aware my sister had anything to do with it." Her eyes widened then she turned to Happosai. "Happy, is this why she's gone?"

Happosai nodded. "I tried to explain it to you back then Cologne, but you were too much grief to really listen and chased me out to the point I could never come back, and with that I ended up leaving the game behind. I had hoped your village would have destroyed the game by now. I'm not surprised you didn't know the truth, given your emotional trauma and the fact you weren't yet an elder. There's no way you could have known about the game."

"Wait, what are we missing here?" Ranma asked.

"Sorry, I got distracted for a moment." Happosai said. "Anyway, me and Soap played the game as best we could, surviving the challenges the game threw at us. I don't remember each and every threat we faced, but the jungle plants were one of them. One thing you must know about the plants, they follow the players. No matter where the players go, the jungle will follow you two. Even more when you two are together. The jungle will spread out in all directions, as if it wants to take over the world, but wherever you two are going it will spread the most. And where the plants go, the animals and disasters are going to follow too."

"I don't remember any jungle around my home. Ever." Cologne stated.

Happosai sighed. "Even though I was chased out, I looked around and discovered no one remembered what had happened after I stopped the game. No one but me. As far as you and the rest of the Jusendo area was concerned it never happened. All you did know was that Soap was gone."

"What happen to her?" Shampoo asked.

Happosai looked like he wanted to cry. "After the two of us were nearly killed by forest fire from the game, among other threats, I had a moment of weakness. I wanted to get the game done and over with right away, but we were only halfway thru the game. I sought out help from the Amazons on how to stop the game and one of them offered me a way. She gave me an emerald pendant, saying it was connected to the game and would allow the possessor to have some control and immunity from the challenges. Not total immunity, but some, and if the game got lost the pendant would draw the game back to whoever held the pendant. But best of all, if a player had the pendant, they could use it to force the game to end early."

"Sort of a get-out-of-jail-free card?" Cologne asked.

Happosai nodded. "Only not as nice. I used the pendant to force the game to end. It worked, everything that came from the game or happened because of the game was gone, as if it never happened. When I checked the calendar, I saw I had even gone back in time to the day Soap and I started playing. So I figured that was why Cologne and the others didn't know what had happened, because technically nothing did. That timeline was erased."

"Wait, so you're saying that when Shampoo and I finish the game, we're going to go back to the day we started it?" Ranma asked.

"I believe so, and you two will be the only ones to remember anything that happened since you started."

"Then let's go get that pendant and end it before more people get hurt. Even if it will all be undone there's no reason it has to happen in the first place." Ranma stated.

Happosai shook his head. "Absolutely not! You _must_ finish the game the right way!"

"Why?"

"It's because ending the game early comes with a price." Happosai announced. "I used the pendant. I was the one who got out of the game. But Soap..."

Cologne gasped in horror once it clicked together in her mind. "It didn't include her. She disappeared with everything else, didn't she?"

Happosai's mournful expression was answer enough, but he spoke anyway. "Yes, I was spared, but she wasn't." He then looked at the two teens firmly. "That is why you must not use the pendant. Only one of you could escape the game then, and the one who does escape will forever regret it. The one who doesn't... I don't know what happens to them. Probably trapped in the jungle forever."

That sent a chill down Ranma and Shampoo's spines. The idea that they could stop all this early but at the cost of one of the lives of the other... it had as much appeal as eating Akane's cooking, maybe even less.

"Shampoo no sacrifice Ranma to game. Shampoo beat game hard way if have to." The purple-haired Amazon declared.

Ranma nodded. "Agreed."

Cologne was silent in thought. 'Soap disappeared because of the game? I remember her going off with Happy one day and never returning. And I just knew he was responsible for it. I thought he left her behind somewhere dangerous or even killed her, so I never gave him a real chance to explain the situation. If this is true, then he just made an honest mistake.'

Happosai looked relieved to hear Ranma and Shampoo say what they did. "Good. Now I know you two don't like me much but I want to help you in this. It's what Soap would have wanted."

"How can you help us?" Ranma asked, a hint of skepticism obvious.

"I'm a former player. Who better than me to give you guidance in all this?" He replied, and Ranma couldn't think of an effective counter to that. "First, tell me what the game has already thrown at you."

Shampoo starting listing off what she could recall. "Snakes, bees, spiders, tiger, monkeys, stampede, boars, trees, and storm. Did Shampoo miss any?"

Ranma shook his head. "Oh, it did turn my old man into a panda when he tried to destroy it and he couldn't change back."

"Hmm... never saw anything like that before." Happosai said. "Anyway, those things you listed are manageable but only the beginning. You better believe me when I tell you it's going to get a whole lot worse."

"How much worse?" Cologne asked.

"Soap and I were once chased by cannibals during the game. Also, the main reason I wanted to end the game ahead of time was some giant mosquitoes bit her and gave her what I believe to be some form of malaria and I just knew she wouldn't survive long enough to finish the game. And if she died, the game could never end."

"Wait, wouldn't that be game over instead?" Ranma asked.

Happosai shook his head. "Heian Conglin doesn't work that way. The only way to truly beat it is for both players to make it to the end, and the game sends out challenges in order to keep you from succeeding. Remember, like most challenges it has to try and keep you from winning. Though fortunately as a game it has to be possible to win without cheating."

"How do you know that?" Cologne asked. "Not everything you're saying sounds like you learned thru experience, but rather like you were instructed."

"The Amazons that gave me the pendant told me. I don't remember much about her, but Soap said this girl gave her the game in the first place, thinking it was a normal game. I sought her out and she went thru some old documents telling me about the game in full detail. She then gave me the emerald pendant to end the game early, but she probably missed the part where it only lets one player escape. At least I hope so, I'd hate to think she wanted such a result."

"Who is this Amazon? If she's still alive maybe we can find her and learn more about this." Cologne asked.

Happosai closed his eyes and thought hard. "It's fuzzy, but I think her name was... it started with a P."

"At least we have a lead." Cologne said. "And with the storm gone you two can go back out and try to find the game yourselves if you want."

Ranma nodded. "Alright, but while you're here, there's something I want straightened out." Everyone looked at him curiously. "Shampoo said something about how you guys were testing me and you could explain it best. Just what did she mean by that?"

Cologne looked to Shampoo who started speaking to her great-grandmother in Mandarin to properly tell her the situation. After she finished, Cologne nodded and turned to Ranma. "Son-in-law, I had hoped not to tell you this as I worried it would give you the wrong opinion of us, but given the situation the two of you are in you probably should know the truth."

* * *

Ryoga woke up and stretched his limbs, grateful to be human again. Last night he stumbled upon a closed bathhouse and went inside for shelter, and lucky him there was still some hot water in it. Apparently it had been closed in a hurry, likely because of the impending jungle. With no one around Ryoga decided to simply bunk there.

After rubbing his eyes he gazed upon the pendant Perfume had given him along with the game, saying the two were connected, and saw it was lightly glowing for a moment. 'That's odd. I wonder what it means.'

After getting ready he stepped outside and saw how much Nerima had changed. Jungle foliage was everywhere, now it looked like the city had been built into it rather than the other way around. The streets were covered in water like a marsh, with debris both natural and man-made floating in it. Some people were outside trudging thru the water trying to get somewhere, and oddly enough people in army outfits were guiding them.

'The armed forces are here? Things must be getting really bad.' Ryoga thought before reaching into his pack to grab some galoshes, nifty things for Jusenkyo-cursed people. When he went to put them on he saw, of all things, the game Heian Conglin floating in the water not far from his reach.

'How'd that get here? Did Ranma lose it?' The lost boy thought as he put on his shoes and waded into the waters to grab the game. 'Hmm... if he doesn't have it, he can't finish it. Maybe I should let him suffer with the jungle a little longer.' He gained a bit of a wicked smile at the thought. 'And for once, he'll be the one forced to trek thru the wilderness to find me. Let's see how he likes it.'

"Excuse me young man." A soldier's voice called out, snapping Ryoga out of his revenge-based fantasy of Ranma struggling futilely thru an Asian jungle to find his rival. If Ranma ever found out Ryoga had the game in his possession that is.

"Yes sir?"

"This whole district is being evacuated. We don't fully understand what's going on but we will soon have it under control. The animals will be captured and relocated, the trees will be removed properly, and property damage will be covered. But for now all residents of Nerima must vacate the town and find shelter elsewhere. Do you have kin in other parts of Tokyo or Japan?"

Ryoga nodded. "Yeah, my home's somewhere else. But maybe I can help you."

"Just leave this to us son and everything will be alright." The soldier replied.

"Actually, I think I know who started this whole thing in the first place. If you get them, you could stop them from ruining the city more or spreading it to another one." Ryoga said, evil laughter in his mind at the thought.

The soldier seemed surprised but not dismissive of Ryoga's words this time. "You're saying a person is responsible for all this? How?"

"Find Ranma Saotome and you'll get your answer. You may have to arrest him first though. He's likely to put up a fight."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

"Told you sword come in handy." Shampoo told Ranma as she used her rarely used sword to slice away at the foliage like a machete. While it wasn't designed for this particular task it was no less effective.

"Guess you were right. Let's just hope no one sees you out in public with a lethal weapon." Ranma replied.

"Who here to see?" Shampoo asked.

Ranma knew she had a point, Nerima looked completely deserted, something you never saw in a Japanese city for anything short of a natural disaster, and sometimes not even that. Ranma and Shampoo had yet to see a single person or an open business even ten minutes after they left the Nekohanten, which was also closed but not deserted.

And that wasn't all that had changed. Except for the man-made parts Nerima truly looked like a jungle right now. Maybe the rain had encouraged it or even added new things to it, but the jungle somehow looked a lot more natural than it had before. And it wasn't just appearance-wise, it even sounded and smelled like a real jungle now. Birds were calling out, flowers were blooming, lizards could be seen climbing in the trees, various bugs flying thru the air, and frogs were croaking in abundance.

That last part proved to be interesting to Ranma as it taught him something he never would have suspected, Shampoo was repulsed by frogs. When they went outside and heard the croaking, Shampoo tensed up and looked bothered by the sound. Ranma had asked about it and she admitted frogs and toads were her least favorite animals.

"Just be careful not to get wet." Ranma warned.

"No plan on it." Shampoo said as she kept on chopping away.

* * *

Mousse was out on the front step of the Nekohanten, now in human form, getting some fresh air. He had a lot on his mind and didn't know what to think, but his thoughts centered on what he had just heard.

-Flashback-

"Son-in-law, I had hoped not to tell you this as I worried it would give you the wrong opinion of us, but given the situation the two of you are in you probably should know the truth." Cologne told Ranma, unaware that in the kitchen her conversation with the pigtailed boy was being overheard.

Mousse had found his way back to the restaurant, albeit not as quickly as he had wanted, and managed to replace his broken glasses. But as he was still a duck, he had difficulty in getting hot water to turn back to normal. So he settled for sleeping in his duck form in the kitchen. Even though Shampoo and Cologne had a habit of undermining him in either form they both would turn him back into a human, to help serve the customers if nothing else. All he had to do was wait patiently.

Morning came and Cologne did run some hot water even though she never indicated she actually knew Mousse was there. She left the kitchen and Mousse heard her greet Ranma, so he took the opportunity to become normal again and hid to redress in some clothes he stashed away. When he was dressed he learned that Cologne and Happosai were having a talk with Ranma and Shampoo over the cursed game the latter duo was stuck in, and he decided to stay out of sight and listen in.

"When Shampoo said she was testing you, she was telling you the truth. But you need to understand something behind our traditions. Our tribe needs two things from the outside world to ensure our continued survival, and the Kisses of Death and Marriage are how we acquire them and determine if what we find is of good use. You with me so far?" Cologne asked Ranma, who nodded so she continued.

"Our tribe stays away from the outside world to live as we please, but we cannot survive completely isolated. If we did we'd run out of genetic diversity and our martial arts would become stagnant, overpowered by the rest developing elsewhere. So we need two things brought into the tribe, new blood and new fighting styles. We find these with our kiss traditions, and once we find them we test their merit before bringing them into the tribe. Shampoo has found you to be a worthy candidate, in both forms mind you, and has been testing you to see if you are up to the tribe's standards as well as her own."

"How do these kisses test me? And what were you wanting from me?" Ranma asked, understanding what she was saying but still unaware of the long term goal she had in mind.

"Both kisses are given when an Amazon loses to an outsider in combat. That implies that the outsider's style and skills are superior to her own, but it could have been a chance victory or the Amazon being arrogant. If she wants to find out for certain, she can choose to give one of the kisses to see for herself, as well as learn about the personality of the outsider."

"Let's start with the Kiss of Death. You beat Shampoo and rather quickly at that. She chose to give you the Kiss of Death. Tell me, why do we warn the receiver in such a way if killing them was our main goal? Wouldn't it be more advantageous to kill without a warning?"

Ranma thought it over and nodded. "All those times Ryoga shouted 'Prepare to die' would have worked better if he had just kept his mouth shut. That way he at least had a chance of catching me off guard"

"Not only that, Shampoo even gave you a head start. Why would she do that?" Cologne added.

Ranma shrugged. "I have no idea."

"She did it because she was testing you. By making you think she was honestly trying to kill you by chasing you down like she did, she was hoping you'd fight back to make her stop. And with you fighting to defend your life that way Shampoo could get an honest understanding of your skills compared to her own. If she had won you would have been spared but ordered to never return to Joketsuzoku, and if she had lost she would have to give you the opportunity to join our tribe and bring your strength into our culture."

"Airen, remember Shampoo no actually kill Violent Girl but change memory? And when I ask you kill girl half you said near-death and Shampoo agree?" Shampoo asked.

Ranma nodded and quickly realized her point. "So the Kiss of Death isn't meant to be literal. But you want the other side to think otherwise to gauge their reaction. It's a martial arts bluff in a way."

Cologne nodded. "Yes."

"But what if the girl refuses to fight the Amazon?" Ranma asked.

"Then after six months the Amazon is allowed to go home and it's officially declared that the other girl is too much of a coward to be of any use or threat to the tribe." The old woman answered.

"And what about the Kiss of Marriage? Why don't you just apply the Kiss of Death to men too?" Ranma asked, starting to understand what the Amazons were up to. He could sympathize since to him they were thinking like real martial artists, using tactics instead of just throwing fists expecting to eventually hit something like some martial artists he had seen over his life, even before he came to Nerima. Akane being somewhat of a prime example.

"We could, but outsider men offer something different then outsider women do. Not only can they give our tribe new fighting styles, but they can give our warriors children too." Cologne told him.

Ranma got red in the face. "But outsider women can do that too you know."

"Yes, but it's more effective to find a man. Let me explain, women in our culture are taught to be two things in their lives, warriors and mothers. So to them, a proper husband is a man who can support them in both aspects, meaning a warrior and a father. When a warrior loses to an outsider male, she can test him to see if he can fulfill that role with the Kiss of Marriage, which is a tad bit more literal then the Kiss of Death."

"So you're saying I'm already married to her?" Ranma asked.

"No, but you are as officially engaged to Shampoo as you were to any of the other girls. If anything, more officially since it wasn't set up by your father." Cologne clarified.

"But how does it test a guy?" Ranma asked.

"By giving the kiss, Shampoo was essentially giving you the opportunity to prove your worth as a husband to her. Threatening to kill you wouldn't work in this case, so like most girls she tried to make you like her. She uses martial arts to impress you as a warrior, and she does domestic jobs to earn your favor as a woman."

"Then why did she try and use tricks sometimes to do it?" Ranma asked, sounding more confused than accusing.

"Well Son-in-law, in regards to the Instant Nannichuan that was an honest mistake. Shampoo was unaware at first that it only worked once, and when she learned she was afraid telling you would make you cancel your date with her. Even so, you shouldn't be so judgmental. Have you not used underhanded methods to keep Hibiki away from Akane?"

'She's right.' Ranma thought. 'Twice I pretended to be a girl to get in his way. And I've hit his pig form too when he got too comfortable with Akane. All I was doing though was trying to protect her from him.' Ranma then got an idea. 'Wait, was Shampoo doing the same? Trying to protect me from Akane by getting in her way?'

Cologne cut off his thoughts before he could vocalize them. "Shampoo has helped you too Son-in-law, remember the Cat's Tongue?" The young man's face turned sour, unable to forget that portion of his life. "I told Shampoo not to tell you about the Phoenix Pill, since if you didn't know that a cure existed you'd have no choice but to give in or suffer, but she disobeyed."

Ranma had never thought about that before, but with it pointed out he saw the hole in the story. If he didn't know about that pill he would have had to eventually succumb to the Amazon's plan, yet Shampoo gave him a way out knowing it would slow down her progress and run the risk of losing him entirely. So why did she?

"Anyway, like other warriors who give the Kiss of Marriage, Shampoo has been testing to see your ability to contribute to the tribe as well as your appeal to her personally, while trying to earn approval from you." Cologne continued. "Has it not at all worked? Do you feel nothing for Shampoo?"

"I don't feel nothing, I do care about Shampoo." Ranma stated. "But my old man never taught me how to care for girls like this and I never had a mother to tell me either. All he ever taught me was how to fight, live off the land, and run from angry mobs. But relationships? Not a damn thing."

"But you can learn. Relationships are different than martial arts but still require effort, focus, time, devotion, and sacrifice to get done right. The main difference is that in relationships you look for a partner, not an opponent." Cologne told him.

"Okay, but I'm still not sure what Shampoo is testing me for with this." Ranma replied.

"Why don't you let her tell you herself?" Cologne said. "Shampoo, you say exactly what you feel for Son-in-law right now, in your native tongue. Son-in-law, I will translate for her, and I swear translate is all I will do. I will not alter her words to give the wrong message across."

Ranma was uncertain, mainly because he wasn't sure how to verify the old woman was being honest, but she had been helpful to him over the past week so he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. "Okay. Shampoo, why did you give me the Kiss of Marriage? Do you really want me as your husband? And why?"

Shampoo composed herself and spoke in fluent Chinese, which of course Ranma didn't understand. He caught some words, but not enough to understand by far.

Cologne began to translate her heir's words for the Japanese youth. "Ranma, when I was growing up, I heard a lot about the outside world and I always wanted to see it. But I was never allowed to because we don't go out except at specific times or unless we earned the right to travel. One of the reasons I strove so hard to be the best was to earn that right, and also because it was all I was taught too. Sure, unlike you I stayed at home and learned home skills too, but I never got to go anywhere except just barely outside the village to practice survival skills or when Great-grandmother took me to neighboring villages on business."

"Martial arts is my life, my passion, but I didn't want it to be all I had to look back on when I got older. I wanted to travel, see new places, meet new people, and maybe find someone to love. When you beat me in the tournament, I was actually grateful because you gave me an opportunity to leave home and see what was out there. I had to chase you down, but I wanted to enjoy the sites along the way."

"In Japan I had a hard time following you because of the language and cultural barrier, but I was happy. On a day when I was taking a break, I first saw you in an ice-skating competition."

"Wait, you were in the audience for that?" Ranma asked, remembering the fight over who got to claim ownership of P-chan.

Shampoo nodded, not minding the interruption and continued talking in Chinese while Cologne translated. "Yes. It was quite amazing to watch. Martial arts on ice was completely new to me. When you were a man, I was very impressed by your fortitude despite your obvious inability to skate, but when you were a woman I recognized you right away. Of course I knew I couldn't attack you right then so I waited, and of course you escaped when I made myself known."

"When I saw you as a man and you knocked me out, even though it was only for a brief time and a brief fight, a thousand thoughts raced thru my head in that one moment. But the main one was that an impressive man had beaten me, and you weren't gloating over it. Instead you sounded concerned for me. I could have ignored it and no one would have been the wiser, but I felt... no, _wanted_, to take a chance and see if I could get a friend on my journey as well. My trip chasing you was rather lonely after all."

'I can see that.' Ranma thought. 'At least I had Pop for company.'

"So I gave you the Kiss of Marriage because I wanted to have a friend in this unfamiliar land. Someone who could help me feel less alone, and could be an actual sparring partner my own age, something I hadn't had in a long time. I did expect some confusion and hesitation from you, but when you told me you were the girl I was supposed to kill, it hurt. I didn't know what to do, kill my only friend or throw away my honor to be selfish. What hurt the most was that you sounded like you were trying to get rid of me. I admit some of that was my fault for chasing you, but at the time it felt like a slap in the face. All I wanted right then was to be somewhere comforting, like home."

"Sorry." Ranma suddenly said. He did mean it, but he wasn't sure if it would do any good after all this time.

Cologne continued her translation. "On my way back home, I wondered if I wasn't meant for the outside world. If I should just settle for Mousse and stay home, never to leave again. When Great-grandmother tested my skills at Jusenkyo to ensure I had not gotten weaker in my absense, I then learned the truth of the curses and asked myself what if you were deceiving me. And if you were, would you accept me if you knew I had a curse too? That way you wouldn't be so quick to want me gone? Great-grandmother tried to convince me not to come back but-"

"Wait." Ranma interrupted, looking at Cologne. "You _didn't_ want her to come back here?"

"At first no. You never fought her back during her time away, and you did seem set in seeing her gone, so you didn't seem like much of an asset to the tribe. But Shampoo insisted on coming back. I agreed only on the condition I see for myself what you were like. Now, let Shampoo finish."

Shampoo resumed her explanation, with her relative translating. "I knew it was a gamble, but as a martial artist I was no stranger to risks like this. So I came back and confirmed your gender, and knew that I could make a better impression on you. Unfortunately, Akane and her family kept getting in the way. I listened to your classmates who came to the restaurant and learned more about you, and went out of my way to see if I could get your attention, but it felt like you weren't interested. I was at least grateful you weren't taking advantage of me like some men do in your situation."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Ranma butted in again.

"Son-in-law, unlike you some men wouldn't be nervous or play hard-to-get if a girl like Shampoo was trying to become their wife." Cologne advised. "Some men would try to dominate her or be downright cruel, forcing her to fight him off and get away to protect herself. You are one of the good ones, but you weren't exactly giving Shampoo a lot of priority because you were directed to focus only on Akane."

"I'm sorry about that, but there's one thing I still don't get." Ranma replied. "Shampoo, it sounds like you're the only fiancee I have that doesn't _have_ to be engaged to me. So if that's true, why do you choose me? What makes you want me when Akane just wanted me gone?"

Shampoo gently held Ranma's hands and looked into his eyes, her own brimmed with emotion and she spoke again in Chinese. Cologne actually held her tongue for a moment after hearing this. "Shampoo, you sure you want him to hear that?" The purple-haired girl nodded. "Very well, but this may result in more than you bargained for."

"What?" Ranma asked, worried about what Shampoo had said. It didn't sound like she had said something bad, but for all he knew she could have spoken in Russian and he wouldn't have noticed a difference.

"Son-in-law, Shampoo said and I quote, 'Ranma, I came here wanting to make a friend and see the world. But now, none of that will mean anything if you aren't there with me. I'd rather stay here forever with you then roam the world on my own again. You don't have to become my husband today, but I do want to be your wife someday. Will you at least give me the chance you used to give Akane?'"

Ranma was speechless as expected, but cleared his throat. "I... need to think this over Shampoo. But right now, my top priority is getting the game back and finishing it."

"Shampoo agree." The Chinese girl said in Japanese.

-End Flashback-

'Is that really what Shampoo thinks?' Mousse asked himself, having heard the entire thing. Unlike Ranma, he didn't need a translation so he knew for a fact Cologne had not bent the truth or anything. Shampoo had just confessed that her dreams now centered on being with Ranma.

"What are you doing Mousse?" Cologne said as she came outside, seeing him on the porch.

"I heard the whole thing elder." He said, for once in no mood to insult the old woman.

"And I take it you don't approve." Cologne stated.

Mousse looked off in the distance, as much as there was with a jungle in the way. "She spoke of Saotome not ever giving her a chance, yet she completely ignored the fact she never gave me a chance."

"Mousse, she's known you for about thirteen years now. I think it's pretty clear that she has given you a chance already and you didn't meet her standards."

"But I can be better than him." Mousse insisted.

"Mousse, did you ever stop to think that Shampoo simply doesn't want you? That no matter what you do she's just not interested?" Cologne asked.

"Pretty hypocritical if you ask me." The myopic boy grumbled.

"Wouldn't you be the same if a girl here tried to impress you? Would you give her a chance to earn your heart, or would you ignore her merely because she's not Shampoo?" Cologne asked. "Who's the hypocrite then Mousse?" She added before going back inside, leaving the weapon expert to reflect.

After a few moments, Mousse got up on his feet. "I still have to try." He told himself before heading off into the jungle.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Akane slowly opened the door to Ranma's room, hoping that he was there against all odds, sleeping or at least trying to oversleep until she or the panda woke him up with water. But sadly there was no sign of him at all, just a sleeping panda on a futon.

'I guess he's really not coming back.' Akane thought mournfully. 'I shouldn't be surprised. I pretty much made him feel unwelcome here and was really harsh yesterday, why would he come crawling back to me? I sure as hell wouldn't and he's as proud as I am.'

Akane closed the door and walked back to her room, but she merely stood outside it, not sure where to go from here. 'What if this time Ranma really doesn't come back? I mean... maybe Nabiki's right, maybe he won't wait for me to decide when I'm ready. I want him back, but I'm not ready to be his fiancee yet. Why can't he accept that? Why can't anyone let me handle this my way?'

Akane's eyes hardened a bit at that thought. 'Part of this is Dad's fault. If he and Mr. Saotome hadn't pressured us so much me and Ranma would have been at each other's throats a lot less. They wanted us to be together so badly, but it just had to be on their terms and their timeline, not ours. Why? Why was it so important we fall in love overnight? It couldn't just be the agreement, they never promised _when_ the schools would combine, so why did it_have_ to be in a hurry? Is Dad hiding something from me?'

Filled with a momentary sense of purpose, Akane resolved to go downstairs and confront her father on the matter. Before she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard something.

"I hope Akane's feeling better this morning." Kasumi said.

"Me too, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if she was still mopey." Nabiki replied.

'They're talking about me?' Akane asked herself. Curious, she stayed in place to remain hidden, wondering what they'd say about her if they didn't know she could hear them.

"Do you think Ranma will come back?" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki shrugged. "If he does it likely won't be until he and Shampoo finish that game. And even then, things won't be like they used to be around here."

Kasumi nodded. "I figured, but I suspect you have something specific in mind on that I might not be seeing."

Nabiki took a drink of coffee before answering. "It has to do with Ranma's most recent attitude here Kasumi. You saw him and heard him, Ranma's out of patience regarding how he's treated here. Some people here might not think this, but Ranma sees himself as a victim here. And personally I don't blame him."

'How is Ranma a victim?' Akane asked herself, not seeing how such a thing could be true.

"Ever since Ranma got here he's pretty much been deprived of making his own choices." Nabiki continued, unaware that in doing so she would be answering Akane's unspoken question. "Nobody ever asks him what he wants or thinks, instead they tell him what he's supposed to want or think. For example, Akane's cooking. Ignoring the fact that it tastes terrible, her presentation is like I just described. Not once have I seen her ask what he'd like to eat or how he likes it made, she just makes something, assumes Ranma will like it, and practically shoves it at him telling him to eat it. Even if her food tasted good that would be rude because she's not taking into account what he actually wants to eat. For all we know there might be some foods out there he couldn't eat even if _you_ made it Kasumi. There are allergies and different standards for taste after all. Like me with cheesecake, you know how much I hate that stuff even when it's cooked the right way. Ranma may be a bottomless pit but he can't like the taste of everything, but does Akane ever consider that? Nope, just 'I made it so you must eat it no matter what it is'."

Akane was getting angry at hearing the insults at her cooking, which to her sounded worse than Nabiki was actually saying, but her curiosity at hearing where Nabiki was going with this made her restrain herself from lashing out.

"I say this because when you think about it everyone around here has that same basic attitude to Ranma. The attitude of 'You must do something because I say so'. Daddy telling him to marry Akane, Shampoo and Ukyo saying he has to marry them, Cologne saying he has to obey Chinese customs even though he's Japanese, Kuno-baby and Kodachi saying he has to submit to them one way or another, and so on and so on. Does anyone _ask_ him what he wants? What he thinks is best? What would make him happy? Nope, it's all about the demander saying 'Make _me_ happy'. Whether or not Ranma wants to do any of that is completely ignored."

"Nabiki, you know that's not true." Kasumi chided.

Nabiki smirked as if she heard a joke. "You know Kasumi, I've always admired your ability to see the best in any bad situation. You're the eternal optimist we all need. But optimism is only a virtue if you're not blinding yourself to the bad aspects."

"Pardon?" Kasumi asked, not sure what Nabiki was saying.

"A normal optimist tries to see what's good despite what's bad. The bright side of a dark situation. No offense sis, but sometimes I think you try to pretend there is no dark, you blind yourself to everything unpleasant. I'm not saying you shouldn't be optimistic, but you're not helping others or yourself by avoiding the harsh parts of reality like it's not supposed to exist." Nabiki pointed out.

"Nabiki!" Kasumi said in surprise, not sure if she should be offended by this claim or not.

"Am I wrong Kasumi? Can you admit that something here is wrong? Tell me something that's true and not complimentary. Prove to me you can be realistic even if it means saying something negative." Nabiki calmly challenged.

"We're not talking about me. How do we get Ranma and Akane back together?" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki sighed. "Weren't you listening to me? Maybe Ranma doesn't _want_ to get back together with her anymore. Does that mean _anything_ to anyone here?"

"But Akane will be happier if he does." Kasumi claimed.

"Will she?" Nabiki sarcastically asked. "What are you thinking Kasumi? That this absence is going to make them realize just how much they really love each other and once they see each other they're finally going to stop hiding their true feelings and admit to being madly in love with other and so forth? Do you really believe that's going to happen?"

Kasumi lightly frowned, a barely noticeable look on her. "And what exactly do you propose I hope for instead? That Akane be miserable for the rest of her life?"

"Oh please. Miserable for the rest of her life? If she doesn't marry Ranma she will get over it eventually. Same with Shampoo and Ukyo and even Kodachi. They can't all be with Ranma, someone here will have to lose this fight for him, and Akane could be one of them. Heck, it could be all of them and Ranma could decide to marry a girl we've never heard of before. The fact is even though our sister will be hurt, she will get over it. Same with the others."

'I don't like how she said that.' Akane told herself. 'Though she might be right, it would hurt to lose Ranma for good but not so much I could never move on with my life.'

"And let's discuss the flipside of that situation, where Ranma _does_ come back." Nabiki added. "He's made it clear he's not going to be Akane's doormat anymore. He's not going to grovel and submit to the little princess just because he's told to. He wants to be respected too, not treated like a servant. Are you going to tell him to give that up and do whatever makes Akane feel happy and damn what he feels in the process?"

"What? No, of course not."

"Then why do you want him to come back to be with Akane? Is it to make him feel more welcome here, or is it because Akane's unhappy and you just want her to stop crying?"

Kasumi pursed her lips a bit before responding. "Are you saying we should let Akane be unhappy?"

"Like I said before, she _will_ get over it. Her heart is not so fragile that one crack will shatter it beyond repair Kasumi. Akane may be the baby of the family, but she's not a baby anymore. She's sixteen years old for crying out loud, stop coddling her so much. This is not the first time she's been hurt and it won't be the last. It is impossible for any person to be happy 24/7 Kasumi, Akane has to learn to deal with unhappiness just like the rest of us did. Shielding her so much is actually hurting her."

Kasumi looked a little more than annoyed now. "I will not have you talk to me this way Nabiki. I am a good sister to Akane, and I at least never took pictures of her for profit. So don't you criticize how I choose to help her, because I'm doing more than you are."

Nabiki narrowed her eyes. "You want to go there sis? Okay then, maybe you do clean the house and cook the meals, but who pays to ensure the house remains our property or that the kitchen never runs out of food? Who gives you the money to go shopping? Who pays for Dad's drinking? For Akane's bricks? For everything that everyone here uses? Let's face it, I'm as invaluable as you are, and I'm not proud of how I have to make a profit, but someone here has to. You're as dependent on me as I am on you. Don't forget that."

'Wow, I've never seen them fight like this.' Akane thought, surprised greatly. 'Maybe they're getting stressed out too by everything that's happening.'

"And does that excuse your actions Nabiki?" Kasumi pressed. "You may use your money for a good cause but it's still ill-gotten. And to my recollection you've used Ranma for it as well. So who are you to talk down to others regarding their treatment of him if you're guilty of the same thing?"

"Better to have ill-gotten money then to be poor Kasumi. Someone has to pay the bills here and Dad makes little. Until he or Akane get jobs we're stuck using my methods, and even then I'd have to keep working to ensure we stay stable for a while. As for using Ranma, sure in the beginning I didn't ask him to pose, but he came to me and made a deal. Unlike the panda, he thought it was wrong to stay here rent-free especially with the engagement to Akane so uncertain, so he agreed to ignore any pictures I took of him and bets I place on his fights as long as I left Akane out of it."

Akane silently gasped. 'Ranma did that? And he helped me too? He didn't want my privacy invaded anymore?'

"My point remains Kasumi, Ranma has wants and needs of his own. And he's tired of people not caring." Nabiki proceeded. "Ever since he came to me with that offer, I've made it a point to try and understand him so that I can be sure he couldn't use it against me. No way I'm letting him get an edge over me. One thing I've learned about Ranma is that you can't hold him to normal standards. Nothing about him is something we consider normal, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person. When you think about his background and upbringing his behavior actually makes sense."

Akane was very curious now, and more than a little skeptical. 'Like she could possibly know him better than me. You may be smart Nabiki, but even you don't know everything.'

Nabiki took another sip before going into detail on what she was thinking. "When you think of a normal childhood, what comes to mind for you? Being raised in a stable home? Going to school? Making friends you hang out with? Having a hobby or two? That sort of thing?" Kasumi and Akane nodded, but Nabiki could only see Kasumi do this. "None of that happened to Ranma, and you and Akane would know that if you bothered paying attention more regarding him."

"Pardon?" Kasumi asked, confused and slightly offended. Akane was similar, but more confused.

"Yes. Think about it Kasumi. Going off only what we've already been told, Ranma's childhood was anything but normal to us. You don't really think they went to China just for fun do you? Daddy himself told us the Saotomes had been traveling around for a long time. They probably started long before they went to China, meaning Ranma's home has always been the road, never one permanent house like us."

"What makes you so certain?" Kasumi inquired.

"One simple fact, the absence of Ranma's mother." Nabiki responded. "Until yesterday, she had never been mentioned. That itself is odd. Why didn't she go with them to China? Why hasn't she contacted us since they got here? Has Mr. Saotome even contacted her? Even if she had divorced the panda, why hasn't Ranma said a thing about her? He said he wanted to go find her after the game ended. Go _find_ her, as in he doesn't know where she lives. That to me sounds like he wasn't even aware she was still alive. So either Mr. Saotome lied about her death, or he took Ranma away from his mother when Ranma was too young to ever remember her. If you can come up with a better theory please share it."

Kasumi and even Akane found themselves at a loss for words right then. Nabiki's claim did make a lot of sense to them.

"Another thing that makes Ranma's childhood not normal is martial arts itself." Nabiki continued since no one had countered her. "I don't think Mr. Saotome and Ranma traveled around so much because they were bored or anything. They did it to make Ranma a better fighter. Mr. Saotome always emphasizes the importance of the arts, it's likely he's been doing that all Ranma's life. Martial arts is not a hobby to Ranma, it is his life. He's been brought up so that martial arts is pretty much the only thing he knows how to do. Ranma's probably only ever been to school because he's been forced to and his friendships with Ryoga and Ukyo were started based on competitions, not enjoying one's company. You don't see Ranma socializing with people he doesn't fight with do you?"

'Now that she mentions it, I've never seen Ranma choose to be around Hiroshi and Daisuke. It's always been them going to him. If she's right, then Ranma doesn't know how to interact with people without some kind of competition involved.' Akane wondered, her sister's words sinking in, making her realize there was more to Ranma than she originally believed.

"So what exactly is your point Nabiki?" Kasumi asked. "You've established that Ranma does not have a normal background, but why should this stop us from trying to make things right again?"

"Because unless Akane realizes this it won't mean a damn thing." Nabiki bluntly answered. "Whenever I see them together, I get the feeling that Akane expects him to be normal. She expects him to be like other people, or maybe even herself. To Akane, school is vital for the future and martial arts is a mere hobby. But that is the exact opposite of what Ranma believes. And if I can figure all this out just by paying attention to the little things, why can't she? My theory is she doesn't want to understand him, she just wants him to conform to a standard she has."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Kasumi asked.

Nabiki shook her head. "Kasumi, when I talked to her last night, she mentioned how when she was younger we always told her she was perfect just the way she was. Remember that?" Kasumi nodded. "We said that because kids can be cruel and made her feel bad about being tomboyish. But she unfortunately took it a bit too literally. Akane told me she believes she doesn't have to change at all, but Ranma has to change a lot. You get that? Akane believes she literally _is_ perfect."

'No I don't Nabiki.' Akane sadly thought. 'I know I'm not perfect, but I want to be. I want to be the best martial artist, the best chef, and as womanly as Kasumi. I want to be the best at everything I do, but I'm not and that makes me angry. Especially when people like Ranma are better than me. Is it so wrong to want to be the best at everything?'

"I'm sure she doesn't truly believe she is flawless." Kasumi claimed.

Nabiki shrugged. "I hope so, but she does insist that Ranma be the one to change, not her. Problem is now he's tired of trying to make her happy and wants to see her make more of the same effort. So before you go try and make Ranma come back to her, I'd suggest trying to get Akane to become more like honey and less like vinegar if you know what I mean."

The analogy fit well for both Kasumi and Akane, who sighed silently but resolved herself. 'Maybe she's right, maybe it was wrong of me to believe only Ranma needed to change. Maybe I can make things right by not expecting so much from him anymore. Maybe... maybe this time I'm the one who should apologize, not him.'

"Girls I'm back." Soun said as he came in thru the front door, unaware of what they had been discussing. "Go pack whatever you want to take with you, we have to leave."

"We do?" Kasumi and Nabiki asked.

Soun nodded. "Yes, the army has showed up to talk to the entire city council. They said Nerima is to be immediately evacuated until further notice so they can take care of the situation here and reverse it. We have a few minutes to gather up our belongings then we'll be taken away to a shelter out of town before more stable lodgings can be provided."

"Did you tell them about Ranma and Shampoo?" Kasumi asked.

Soun nodded. "I told the soldiers that Ranma would take care of the situation himself in a day or two so there was nothing to worry about. They still say we need to get out of the area in case anything more shows up."

Nabiki looked displeased. "Something tells me they're only going to give Ranma trouble, which will slow him down."

"Meaning?" Soun asked.

"The army doesn't like civilians getting involved. Ranma may be strong but he's still a civilian and therefore the army will give him the usual 'stay out of the way' attitude. And if they find out he's part of the reason it's literally a jungle out there they may have him arrested and unable to finish the game. Especially if they don't buy the explanation why all this is happening."

"But once Ranma shows them the game and how it works they should let him off right?" Soun asked.

Nabiki shrugged. "We can hope for that, but my gut tells me it won't be that simple. Ranma's best hope is to stay out of their grasp and finish this as fast as he can. If he can't, we might be away from our home for a long time."

Akane leaned against the wall, not liking the sound of that. 'I better go find Ranma now and try to make things right. If I don't do it now I might never get a chance to.' With that she hurried out the door, revealing herself to her sisters but not sticking around to say anything about what she had heard them say.

Akane ran outside, ignoring the jungle and calf-deep water everywhere which slowed her down. 'I better start at the Nekohanten. Please be there Ranma.'

* * *

Akane wasn't the only person looking for the pig-tailed young man. Ryoga was in the back of an open-roof vehicle being driven by two soldiers. In his hands was Heian Conglin.

"You positive this Saotome is responsible for all this?" The soldier driving asked.

"Absolutely. Once we find him I can prove it to you." Ryoga told them.

"For your sake you better hope so. Because if it turns out you're lying we'll have you arrested for deceiving us and obscuring our work." The passenger soldier stated.

Ryoga was calm. "So when I prove Ranma's guilt you'll arrest him instead?" He couldn't hide his grin. 'Good luck finishing the game from jail Ranma while I get the game itself far from you. You'll waste the rest of your life in jail or on the run from the law trying to find this thing. Then Akane will be mine.'

"Oh if it turns out this person really is creating a jungle in this city and endangering people's lives like this, we may do more than just arrest him." The passenger soldier replied, making Ryoga smile more.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

"Here river, no see game." Shampoo said when they reached the canal, which by now was practically a genuine river. "Will have to go downstream."

"Figured as much." Ranma said. "No way I'd be lucky enough for it to be caught in something this close by. Hey you don't think it being in water so much is going to ruin the wood do you?"

Shampoo thought it over. "Not know, can only hope no."

"Yeah, you're right. Well, let's keep looking." The pigtailed boy told the purple-haired girl before they followed the current.

"Too bad we no have boat." Shampoo commented while they trekked over roots and avoided the flooded parts of the terrain. The strange mixture of jungle and sidewalk made walking uneasy.

Ranma sighed. "Boy that sure would help us here. But then again there are gators in the water."

"Right, Shampoo forgot. Maybe more in water too, like piranha."

"Are piranha Asian?" Ranma asked. Shampoo shrugged, not positive herself if there was an Asian piranha or not. "Either way, I don't intend on going in the water."

As if to screw with him, the spot he just stepped on was mossy and quite slippery, which caused him to lose his balance. Failing to grab something for leverage, Ranma fell into a flooded area that was at least a foot deep, triggering his curse.

"Poor Airen." Shampoo said sympathetically.

Ranma immediately bolted out of the water yelling. "Ahhhhhh! Leeches!" Sure enough, the redhead had several parasites on her now.

"Airen!" Shampoo shouted at the sight of her loved one covered in these worms. Without thinking she went up to Ranma but in doing so stepped into the water, triggering her own curse. Her cat form struggling to get out of the water and she could feel some leeches attach themselves to her as well.

Seeing her feline partner struggle Ranma picked her up and jumped out of the water to land on a branch, trying to ignore the leeches on herself. 'I better get Shampoo first since her cat body has less blood than mine does. She's in more danger right now.' Ranma grabbed one leech by the head and tried to twist it off, which made the parasite bite down harder making Shampoo meow painfully quite loud. But after a moment the leech was removed and thrown back into the water. 'One down, and two more to go unless there's some I can't see yet.'

Two more leeches were removed then Ranma checked the rest of Shampoo's body for any hidden ones. There had been one on her underside, where her stomach would be if she were still human, and that one was removed too. Shampoo gave the pigtailed girl a meow of gratitude, but it sounded tired. She was bleeding a little and likely lightheaded, especially if these weren't normal leeches.

'Come to think of it I'm a little lightheaded myself.' Ranma thought, her vision getting blurry. 'No time to worry, I should get back to the Nekohanten. Finding the game will have to wait.' Tightening her hold on the cat, something she couldn't believe she was doing voluntarily, Ranma left the tree and went with the most convenient method of travel, roof-hopping.

"Weird, a week ago I wouldn't touch a cat with a twenty-foot pole. And here I am running _with_ one instead of _away_ from one." Ranma commented to herself. "I wonder how tough this game would have been if I hadn't gotten help from Shampoo or the old ghoul before Ryoga showed up."

Ranma made another jump but this time she just barely reached the other roof, landing on the edge and not well balanced at that. With a skill that came from plenty of experience she managed to avoid falling over, but she stopped her travel for the time being.

'Whoa, I'm getting tired.' Ranma told herself as she came down to her hands and knees, breathing heavily. She placed Shampoo down in front of her first to steady herself. Her vision was getting dark. 'Those leeches... did they infect me or something?' She looked at Shampoo, who looked asleep but in pain. 'I've got to get back.' Ranma stated, but her body protested. 'I... I got to...'

With that, Ranma passed out.

* * *

Ranma hadn't been the only person hopping from roof to roof that day. Most of the inhabitants were already gathered up by the army and being directed away, but not all of them. One such person was roof-jumping to keep out of their grasp.

'I can't leave yet, not without seeing Ranchan first.' Ukyo thought. The army had come to her shop and asked her to come along with them. She asked to get something first and they let her, so she went inside and to the second floor before jumping to the building behind the Ucchans when they weren't looking.

'If I go with them to a relocation center they're bound to ship me back to Tou-san in Kyoto and I'll have virtually no chance to win Ranchan's heart until I can come back, which could be any time. I need to make one last stand before that happens so he won't forget me. Now if I could just tell where I was going without all these trees everywhere...'

During a jump she saw something in the corner of her eye and came to a stop once she landed to get a better look. "Is that Ranchan?" She jumped to the roof itself and gasped. "It is. Ranchan?" She knelt down next to the redhead and lightly shook her. "Ranchan are you hurt?" She took a closer look. "Oh lord you're bleeding!"

Without hesitation Ukyo grabbed Ranma's limp body and positioned it so she could carry the redhead. 'I'm glad Ranchan is lighter in this form, though to be safe I'll stick to the ground. Only problem is how do I get down?' Looking around she saw a tree next to the building with some vines hanging off a branch. 'Good enough for me.'

Balancing Ranma over her shoulders, Ukyo used the vines to carefully get down to the ground. Once there, she went onto the main road, which was cracked and covered in many plants and in some spots flooded with water. She heard a car coming her direction and walked towards the sound.

"Hey! Can someone help me? I've got an injured person here!"

The car approached and stopped before them, with only two soldiers in it. "You shouldn't be out here. All civilians are being taken to centers for the time being or relocated to family elsewhere."

"Though some of them are making it difficult." The second soldier commented.

"We'll go wherever you want, but first my friend needs a doctor." Ukyo told them.

With the soldiers help Ranma was placed in the back seat with Ukyo next to her, with the soldiers taking them away somewhere.

* * *

After an indeterminate amount of time Shampoo began to wake up. She mewed softly and stretched her legs which felt like they were still asleep. After some waiting she was able to stand again.

She meowed louder, calling out for Ranma, but her loved one wasn't there to respond. 'Airen? Where are you?' She wondered, a little afraid. 'You no leave Shampoo behind right? Did something take you away?'

Overcome with the urge to find her partner, Shampoo went to the same tree Ukyo had used and jumped from one branch to another before safely jumping to the ground. But now she had no idea where to go.

Strangely, now she wasn't afraid anymore. Even though she was a human trapped in a housecat's body, stranded all alone in a supernatural jungle taking over a city, she wasn't afraid. 'This like when Shampoo first arrive in Japan, alone in alien environment with no one to rely on, all while trying to find Airen. I handle that fine, I handle this fine too. First thing to do go to Nekohanten for hot water, then find Airen.'

This part of the ground had a thin layer of water on it now but the depth was ankle deep at best for the cat so there was no concern. Especially with her already in her cursed form.

For the first ten minutes the trek back home had been peaceful, albeit wet, but then she heard croaking. Then a bunch of green frogs hopped in front of her perched on a log, making Shampoo freeze. Earlier she had told Ranma that she merely disliked frogs, when in truth she had ranidaphobia just like he had ailurophobia. And the reason for her phobia was not unlike the reason for his own.

-Flashback-

Back when Shampoo was a young girl, roughly a month before she encountered Pink and Link in a neighboring village, she was having a fun day to relax and not train for once, though Cologne still encouraged her to be active.

What Shampoo decided to do was catch some butterflies. Armed with a net she went to the best spot nearby for such an activity, the lake where the village went fishing and swimming. Butterflies really liked the flowers and lilies that bloomed there.

Shampoo spent a good two hours chasing butterflies with her net, running with a smile and laugh. She never actually caught one, but she was in this for the hunt, not the catch.

Mousse came by while he was on an errand for his mom and saw her having fun, so he thought he'd come greet her. "Hi Shampoo." He took off his glasses as usually to try and look better.

Shampoo stopped running and saw him. "Hi Mousse." She was a bit friendly to him at this point in her life, though she did think he was dumb for not keeping his glasses on.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to catch something."

"Catch what? Fish?"

Shampoo shook her head. "No." Then she saw a new butterfly land on a lily. "Ooh there's one." She went right after it.

Mousse put on his glassed to see what she was hunting, and saw her carefully stand over a lilypad with a frog on it with a net in her hand. He never noticed the butterfly on the lily flower that she was actually looking at. She swung her next and missing the butterfly but the frog jumped and ended up caught in the net.

Shampoo reached in and pulled it out. "At least I caught something." She then let it back into the lake and went back to look for more butterflies.

'So she's hunting frogs? Maybe if I catch her a lot she'll want to hang out more. I'll have to wait for later though.' Mousse though before returning to his errand. "Bye Shampoo."

She didn't hear him.

Night came by the time Mousse had a free moment to get back to the lake to catch frogs. Luckily they were more abundant by then, croaking loudly. Armed with a net and a box, Mousse went about catching as many as possible and not stopping until the croaks did. It was tough work, but by midnight he was succeeded in catching twenty-two frogs.

"Shampoo's going to be so pleased with me for this." He said as he went to her house. It was late so he couldn't bring them in and he couldn't exactly take the frogs home, so he did the only thing he saw as reasonable in his young mind. He went to her bedroom and tapped on the window to wake her up. When that didn't work he checked to see if the window was locked. Unfortunately for Shampoo that night, It wasn't.

He opened it and deposited the box inside her room with a note that read 'To Shampoo from Mousse, hope you like what I did for you.'

Content with his gift, he closed the window and went home, unaware that the lid on his box had become unlatched when it rubbed against Shampoo's window sill.

When Shampoo woke up in the morning, she heard a lot of croaking. When she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was twenty-two frogs all over her room, her bed, and on top of her head.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

-End Flashback-

'Damn Mousse, now frogs give Shampoo nightmares.' Shampoo thought, then reacted like a normal cat by hissing and arching her back in an effort to get rid of the amphibians. Though to be honest this action was more caused by her fear rather than a conscious effort to ward it off.

The frogs felt threatened too and reacted in a way Shampoo would never have expected. They spat at her, emitting a putrid green glob of something that Shampoo had no intention of being hit with so she jumped back. As a cat, she could easily avoid the attack.

'What that? Spitting frogs? Is anything in Heian Conglin normal?' Shampoo complained.

"My, this is fortunate." Kodachi said, startling Shampoo. The frogs were startled too and escaped. Kodachi just looked at Shampoo like she was a prize, and Shampoo didn't like that. Kodachi took out her handy ribbon and with it tied up Shampoo before she could escape. "You should do nicely."

Shampoo really didn't like the sound of that.

* * *

Ranma woke up and found himself in an unfamiliar place. Instead of being outside on a roof, the last place he remembered being, he was inside what looked like a hospital room. And he was male again.

"Oh good, you're up." A female doctor said when she saw him. "Are you Ranma Saotome?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'm Dr. Miya and I'm afraid we have some questions for you. Now that you're awake, we can proceed."

"Where am I? How did I get here?" He asked.

"You're in a military ward right now. Soldiers are going up and down the streets of Nerima trying to evacuate the civilians and handle the strange situation happening to the city." Miya told him. "You were brought here by your fiancee."

"Shampoo?" Ranma asked for clarification.

Miya looked confused. "You can save washing your hair for later. You were knocked out from a minor loss of blood and some kind of toxin in your bloodstream. The wounds you had made me think you had been bitten by leeches of some sort."

"I was."

Miya wrote something down on the clipboard she was holding. "Alright. Are you feeling reasonably normal now?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah. Can I go now? I really need to take care of something."

Miya shook her head and a tough looking man wearing a green army uniform walked into the room . He had short grey hair and one of the biggest 'no nonsense' expressions ever to grace someone's face. "I'm afraid that's not an option right now boy."

"Who are you?"

"You will call me General Togo if you're smart, and you _will_ answer all my questions whether you're smart or not as far as I'm concerned." He said firmly, channeling his 'no nonsense' attitude into his voice.

Ranma didn't like this guy's approach and got defensive. "And what if I refuse?"

"Like I said boy, you don't have a choice in this." General Togo insisted.

Ranma was now even less comfortable. "Yesterday someone else told me I didn't have a choice in what I did. I showed him how wrong he is. What do you even want with me in the first place?"

"Because someone who shall remain anonymous has told our soldiers that you are the one responsible for the disaster that has befallen Nerima." Togo stated. "I find it hard to believe that this jungle is man-made, but I can't argue the fact that jungles don't just spring up overnight. Are you somehow creating this jungle?"

Ranma grit his teeth. "What if I am?"

"The mere fact you have to ask that tells me you are in fact responsible but you don't want to admit it. Which means you're planning something you don't want us to know about. So as of right now Ranma Saotome, until you prove otherwise, you are now officially under arrest as an enemy of the country."

"What? I haven't done anything wrong! I'm trying to get rid of the jungle!" Ranma objected.

"If that's true then you have nothing to fear, but if you caused this to happen you are still going to pay for it." Togo told him, making it clear he had no intention of letting Ranma get out of this unscathed. "So tell me, how did you make this happen? And how can we stop it from spreading?"

"First, _you_ can't do anything to stop it. And I'm not just saying that, you literally _can't_ stop it. Only myself and my friend Shampoo can stop it."

"A likely story." Togo said skeptically.

"It's the truth." Ranma objected before explaining the story of his time playing the time, all the while wondering where Shampoo was and if she was safe.

* * *

"Brother what is going on?" Kodachi asked when she came home from her failed attempt to find Ranma after the storm, Shampoo still wrapped up tightly in her ribbon.

"Dark magic has infected the city. It is too much for us to ward off ourselves. The military is making the effort to eradicate it and we have no choice but to abide by their wishes. So for now we will take what we do not wish to leave behind and relocate to the summer house until further notice." Kuno told her, explaining the presence of the moving truck and several boxes being put into it by their servant Sasuke.

"For real?" Kodachi asked.

"Sadly yes. I wish I could stay here to vanquish the cause once and for all, but the law is coming forward this time and we have little choice but to abide by it." Kuno claimed.

"In that case I shall go prepare my things. I will be bringing Midorigame with me, but at least he won't be hungry on the trip."

Instinctively, Shampoo felt a chill down her feline spine.

Kuno glanced at the cat then back at his sister. Like her he didn't recognize the animal and thought it was just another stray. "Be quick. Though he had a boar that came into the area last night before the storm Saotome conjured so he might not be hungry."

Kodachi arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean Ranma-darling conjured that storm?"

"I saw him myself. He was here last night and made the storm appear. Now do you believe he is a practitioner of the evil arts and must be removed from this world?" Kuno argued, hoping this time his sister would lose her crush on the pigtailed young man. While he approved of Ranma not being with Akane, he had grown to find the idea of Ranma being his future brother-in-law without appeal as well.

"You clearly have too active an imagination brother." Kodachi said before walking past him to go see her pet alligator. Shampoo saw the giant reptile floating in the pond and now realized what Kodachi intended. "Settle down kitty. I'm sorry but my pet is expensive to feed so I lessen the bill by supplementing his food with strays I find sometimes. I know that I could easily afford to pay for food all the time, but meat is meat to him after all, and he seems to like the taste of live cat."

'No way in Hell Shampoo become food!' The Amazon-turned-cat mentally yelled as she struggled with much more effort, but the ribbon would not give. Fortunately Kodachi had no intention of feeding her pet the ribbon so she untied her captive.

The moment she was freed Shampoo jumped into Kodachi's face and slashed her across the face to get back at her. Kodachi yelled and covered her cut, closing her eyes in pain. Shampoo landed by the edge of the pond and it looked like Midorigame noticed her. Fortunately he was still full from the boar from last night so he didn't go after her, allowing her to run away from the pond and jump over the wall to leave the property.

'Now find Airen.' She said with purpose before suddenly stopping in her tracks. 'Wait, house had hot water. Shampoo can be normal again first.' With that she turned around and jumped back in, though Kodachi saw her and looked mad.

"Bad kitty!" she said as she attacked with her ribbon to punish her. Shampoo dodged and ran into the house thanks to the open back door, though Kodachi followed to get rid of her. Following her nose Shampoo was able to find her way to the furo room based on the scents of soap and other wash products. Moving quickly she turned the knobs on the tub to get water going, though she had to wait a brief moment to get the right temperature.

In that moment Kodachi caught up. "A strange cat, but now an unwelcome one. Get out." She ordered before trying to catch her again. Ready for this Shampoo simply jumped into the water, and after a moment emerged as a nude woman.

Kodachi was surprised. "Who are you and how did you get here?"

Shampoo frowned and chose to kick Kodachi in the side of her head rather than answer. "No one treat Shampoo like that." Kodachi was knocked out, but it likely wouldn't last long. "Now Shampoo need clothes. Shampoo take yours, you owe me after that."

Being careful not to be spotted she went into the most feminine-looking room she could find and started digging thru the closet. Fortunately Kodachi had one cheongsam so Shampoo tried that and a pair of panties. No bra though since Kodachi wasn't her size. The cheongsam was dark blue with pink roses on it and rimmed with red silk. Unfortunately it was too tight around the chest and waist for the Amazon. "It do until Shampoo get own clothes back."

With that she opened the door and went back outside to resume her search.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"And that's everything." Ranma told the stern general before him.

Togo looked the same as he had before. "So, you went away from your home and this district in an attempt to overcome your fear of cats. A rival of yours shows up with a board game but after a fight he is gone and the board game remains. You and a Chinese girl start playing it to see what it does, and this game is creating the jungle, adding more to it with each roll of the dice you two make. And because of a former player you happen to know, you and this girl believe you must finish the game in order to get rid of everything that came from it."

"Yes. I just said that." Ranma said, not liking the fact this guy felt he had to repeat his story.

"And you're sticking with that story?" Togo asked.

"You think I'm making this up?" Togo raised a solitary eyebrow.

"Unless you have the game you can't prove your story." Togo told him.

"Then how can you arrest me if you can't prove I'm responsible for this?" Ranma asked.

Togo's jaw lightly tightened. 'Damn, he's more perceptive than I hoped. All we have is a lead on him saying he is responsible for this. He basically confessed, but this story of a magic board game would pass as a plea of insanity easily. The only way to convict him on solid grounds is to prove his story is true and that such a board game exists, otherwise we'll be forced to let him go. But if by chance such a game does exist, arresting him will only hinder our ultimate goal of preventing the spread of the jungle and removing what already has been established.'

"You know boy, what you've said here amounts to a confession, which gives me enough grounds to keep you in custody." Togo told him. "Unfortunately, without that game, in the long run you would be released anyway. So here's the deal, you bring that game to me and prove it works the way you say it does, and I'll see to it that you won't be arrested for all this when this is over. Unless you commit a real crime that is."

"Why should I believe you? How do I know you don't intend to arrest me and Shampoo anyway once this is all over?"

"The thought has crossed my mind, but my real goal here is stop this problem, not punish the one causing it. Getting rid of this jungle takes priority, after that I'll worry about whether or not you deserve to be penalized." Togo reassured him.

Ranma did not like the look in the general's eyes nor the slight smile on the edge of his lips. "Looks like I have no choice. But I have a question, who told you I was responsible for this?"

"I don't know his name, though I'm sure it's written down somewhere in the official statement. Just some boy some soldiers found while evacuating the civilians who mentioned you by name and accused you of starting this." Togo explained.

'That doesn't really help, a lot of people accuse me of what goes on around here. But still, I can't help but think Ryoga is the one doing this. But why? Ryoga always wanted to beat me himself. Why is he resorting to this game in the first place? And why is he trying to get these guys to keep me from finishing the game? None of this fits Ryoga at all. Is he being controlled by something?'

"So boy, where is this game? Does your partner have it?" Togo asked.

"I hope so. We lost the game in the storm last night. We need it back, or this jungle's only going to keep spreading." Ranma warned.

* * *

"Where is it?" Shampoo was running through Nerima looking for the game anywhere. At this point she was no longer certain the game was still by the river. By now a person or animal could have grabbed it and taken it somewhere. But at the same time she was heading back to the Nekohanten.

'Shampoo lose weapons and clothes by leech area, need get own clothes then go get weapons back.' She told herself, not exactly in favor of keeping Kodachi's clothes. They didn't fit her figure right, though that might just be in her mind.

"Shampoo!" Mousse shouted as he found his person of interest, resulting in her stopping.

"What Mousse?" Shampoo replied testily.

"I heard what you said to Saotome this morning." He said. "Shampoo, why him? Just what does he have that I don't?"

Shampoo was a mixture of surprised, bothered, and to a point offended. "Mousse come here for that? Know Shampoo busy and you come ask this instead help?"

"I want to help, but I need to know this first. What is so damn special about Saotome? He doesn't pay attention to you, he doesn't like being around you, he wouldn't even help you in this game if he wasn't involved as well. Why do you love him more than me?"

"You heard Shampoo tell Airen, you know answer." She said, only to receive his hands on her shoulders.

"Say it to my face Shampoo." He insisted.

Shampoo batted his hands off her. "No touch me like that. And Shampoo tell you to face before many times. You never listen."

"I'm listening now. Tell me where I went wrong. Why is he so much more important than me?" Mousse pleaded.

"Shampoo love Airen." The purple-haired girl told the myopic boy.

"But... but why?" Mousse repeated. "Why do you hate me?"

Shampoo sighed. "Shampoo no hate Mousse, but no love Mousse either. Mousse not serious warrior, barely train or fight. Mousse selfish, not care what Shampoo want. Mousse vain and stupid, no keep glasses on or take no for answer."

Mousse found himself feeling a bit of anger to her at her words. "Well what about Saotome? How is he any different than me? Sure he's better at fighting than I am, but he ignores you all the time and takes you for granted. I never have. And he's very egotistical and idiotic. What makes him so great when he's worse than I am?"

Shampoo frowned, but as usual it didn't faze him. "You want truth? Honest truth? Here answer, you no can give Shampoo anything but flattery."

Mousse was very confused now. "What?"

"You flatter and try charm Shampoo, but you no ever do anything else. You think way make girl love you is sweet-talk and give gift, and while that good, Shampoo not need man to make feel special. Shampoo know is strong and beautiful, no need man to remind me. Shampoo need man to support in fight, make Shampoo become stronger, no be pushover."

"I can be that." Mousse insisted.

Shampoo shook her head. "No Mousse, you no can. You lover, no fighter. Lover with some fighter. Shampoo no want that, want fighter with some lover. If Shampoo ask, you make yourself slave without resist. Obey Shampoo every order no question. Shampoo want husband, not servant. Want challenge and excitement, not submission and obedience."

Mousse looked hurt. "You mean you like Saotome _because_ he resisted you?"

Shampoo nodded. "More than that, but Airen challenge Shampoo, in fight and love. That something Mousse never do. Mousse always let Shampoo win, is boring to have partner like that. Shampoo want man with mind of his own, Mousse want woman who want be pampered. Shampoo no need pampering."

Right then, Mousse asked himself one question he had never taken into consideration even once in his long pursuit of the purple-haired girl. 'Are Shampoo and I even compatible?'

* * *

"See them yet?" Happosai asked.

"No none of them, not even Mousse. Why does everyone have to be running around today?" Cologne complained.

"Well we did give the two of them the idea too, and the other boy just decided to invite himself." Happosai explained.

"It was rhetorical Happy."

"You know what they're going to say when you tell them, right Cologne?" Happosai asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, and I have faith they will understand what we have to do." The Amazon elder told him.

"Hey what's that?" Happosai said, seeing something floating in the water.

Cologne looked and saw something quite familiar, so she went and scooped it out with her staff. "It's Shampoo's clothes and sword. She must have gotten wet near here and lost this after becoming a cat."

Happosai was more interested in something else, something he retrieved from the water too. "Oh, so these must be Shampoo's panties."

Cologne narrowed her eyes like a snake at the lech. "Give those to me Happy, if you value your health."

"Sorry Cologne, I've got to be me." Happosai said with glee as he bounced off with the undergarments, quickly chased by Cologne with a vengeance.

* * *

Back at the base, Ranma was being led to a different room by armed soldiers. He wasn't handcuffed, but he still felt like a prisoner.

"If you lost this game in the canal we'll have men search the area and put a halt to any activity regarding the irrigation system. By the end of the day we should have it found." Togo tried to reassure Ranma.

"What if you don't?"

"You remain in our custody until otherwise."

"You mean your prisoner." Ranma stated.

"That's right, for this entire mess you're my prisoner, and cooperating with me is your only chance at avoiding jail. And once we find your partner in this she's going to be my prisoner too." Togo told him authoritatively.

"Does she get the same deal as me?" Ranma asked.

"You said she's from China right? Once this is over I'm having her deported." Togo answered.

Ranma stopped in place. "What? Why would you do that?"

"Simple, to ensure this never happens here again. And by starting this whole thing, as far as I'm concerned they voided their visas so they'd be deported anyway."

"Somehow I don't think that's your decision to make." Ranma pointed out.

The general had another gleam in his eyes that the pigtailed martial artist didn't like. "By the time anyone can stop me it will be too late. Besides, why should you care boy? You're Japanese like me, we're your people, not her. And you did want her to avoid jail which she is. Jail here that is, no promises on if she'll escape it back in her country."

'Alright, I'm convinced this guy isn't concerned about me or Shampoo no matter what he may claim.' Ranma thought. 'We're just criminals to him, I'm pretty sure he has every intention of throwing us behind bars. He just wants to see if we're useful first. And once we no longer are, he'll 'do his job' and ensure Shampoo and I spend the rest of our lives as inmates.'

"Now come with me boy to where you'll be staying during all this." Togo ordered.

"There's one thing you should know about me General."

Togo avoided looking curious. "Oh? And what's that?"

"I prefer the jungle over captivity." Ranma said before he darted down the hall.

* * *

"Akane? What are you doing here?" Ukyo asked, surprised to see her rival for Ranma's affections at the base too. She was in an auditorium-like room surrounded by others, all of which were waiting to be given somewhere to go to get away from Nerima for the time being. The chef had yet to see a familiar face until now, and while it wasn't exactly the face she wanted to see it was better than nothing.

Akane was seated with her family, looking like she didn't want to be here, and was surprised to see Ukyo. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked you first." Ukyo insisted, now seeing a set of handcuffs on Akane.

"Alright, I was going to go out and help Ranma deal with this crap and try to apologize to him for last night, but as soon as I went out these army guys stopped me. I fought back and well..." She lifted up her arms to show off her cuffs. "They fought better."

"It's not a good idea to assault just anyone who gets in your way Akane, especially if they have weapons." Nabiki reminded her sister.

"Some soldiers wanted to take me here I guess but I managed to get away. I found Ranchan but he was passed out cold and lightly bleeding." Ukyo started.

Akane's eyes widened. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. I found some soldiers and asked them to take him to a doctor. It was difficult explaining the curse to them but once they saw the change they stopped asking questions."

"Where was Shampoo?" Kasumi asked.

Ukyo tilted her head. "Huh?"

"Shampoo, the Chinese girl he should have been with. Was she not there?"

"There's _another_ girl Ranchan's involved with?" Ukyo asked.

"Oh right, you haven't met her yet." Akane said.* "Remember when the plants and monkeys appeared at school? There was a girl with purple hair with Ranma. Her name is Shampoo and she's the one he's playing the game with."

Ukyo thought back to that afternoon and vaguely remembered seeing such a person. "I thought that was just another student."

"She doesn't go to school. She spends her day working in a restaurant and trying to find new ways to take Ranma back to China with her." Akane clarified.

Ukyo looked a bit angered now. "And why does she want that?"

"Because some stupid law from her home village says she has to marry Ranma." Akane told her, then got an idea. "She's already tried to turn him against me, so you better act fast before she turns him against you."

Ukyo tightened her fist, wishing the army hadn't confiscated her giant spatula or even her throwing spatulas. "Where is she?"

"Get back here!" Someone shouted which was heard from an open door nearby. Everyone turned just in time to see Ranma run past it with soldiers in pursuit who were refusing to shoot for some reason.

"Now's my chance." Ukyo said just before she ran out the door to follow.

"No way am I missing this." Akane said as she followed.

Nabiki mentally groaned. 'I guess I'm about to see if my plan works once she's brought back. Assuming she actually catches up to him that is.'

* * *

Ranma saw a window and jumped through it, getting outside and somehow avoiding getting cut up by the broken glass. The soldiers weren't as good at jumping as he was and needed to find a door to follow, giving him enough time to get away from the bases and back out in Nerima.

"I need to find Shampoo. And Ryoga. And obviously Shampoo will be the easier one to find."

Just in case he was being followed, Ranma darted between buildings and trees, amazed and how much the jungle had grown overnight. 'If we don't stop this then this will spread all over Tokyo, maybe all of Japan. And it probably won't stop there. We need that game back. Happosai said that pendant brings you the game if you lose it, so I should get it. And I'd bet anything that Ryoga knows where to get it. Once I find him, I'm making him tell me, even if it means I have to tell Akane about P-chan. Saving the country is more important than keeping his secret.'

* * *

Shampoo returned to the Nekohanten followed by Mousse, who was uncharacteristically quiet for once; not that she minded. She got changed back into her normal clothes, silk long-sleeved blouse and pants with appropriate-fitting underwear, and threw away the clothes she borrowed from Kodachi.

As soon as she came back to the main room she saw Mousse staring down two armed soldiers standing there by the door and Ryoga. "You!" She hissed, but before she could do anything the soldiers pointed their guns at her, making her stay still.

"There she is, one of the two people responsible for all this." Ryoga told the soldiers while pointing at her.

"What you mean?" She asked.

"You know what I mean, you and your partner-in-crime Ranma Saotome are destroying this city with a cursed board game. You two are basically terrorists now and that makes you criminals." Ryoga explained, looking like he was enjoying himself.

"Is this true miss?" One of the soldiers asked.

Before she could answer, Mousse spoke up. "Sir, this man here is claiming to know what's going on, who's responsible, and how they're doing it. Has he ever told you exactly _how_ he knows all this?"

The soldiers paused and their stances relaxed once they realized his point. Ryoga had told them a lot which they reported to their superiors, but Ryoga never mentioned exactly where he got his information from. Now that they thought about it, he sounded a bit too confident to just be a witness. He sounded more like a co-conspirator.

"You one bring game in first place." Shampoo accused, making the soldiers more suspicious.

"I'm the good guy here. She and Ranma are trying to destroy everyone's lives. I helped everyone by taking the game from them before they could do more." Ryoga lied, hoping it would throw them off.

"You have game? Give it back!" Shampoo ordered.

"Make me."

* * *

Ranma came to a stop, unable to go any further. Why? The tiger was in front of him again, and it looked ready for round two.

His heart was racing and he was sweating nervously, but Ranma forced himself to stand his ground.

"Ranma?" "Ranchan?" Both Akane and Ukyo said together when they caught up to him, but the sight of the tiger kept them from actually approaching him.

"Stay back. No sudden movements." Ranma warned. Seeing a piece of broken glass on the ground from a shattered window he picked it up and held it like a dagger towards the tiger. The tiger looked like it was waiting for a sign of weakness in Ranma before it would pounce, but Ranma had no intention of giving such an opening.

"Of all the times for me to be disarmed." Ukyo quietly rued.

"And I'm still handcuffed." Akane added, surprised Ranma wasn't panicking. 'Why isn't he screaming and running away? Or at least using the Neko-ken?' Then she remembered something she had forgotten in her recent anger. 'Wait, he said he left to try and overcome his fear of cats. Did he actually do it?'

Whether or not Ranma still had his phobia was irrelevant right now. Any sane person, cat-phobic or not, would be terrified of facing down a tiger and Ranma was no exception. But strangely this time he wasn't acting like he usually did. There was a tremor in his body and fear in his eyes, but there was resolve too. 'Am I really getting braver, or am I just trying to protect these two?'

He couldn't answer, for the tiger ran out of patience and pounced. Normally Ranma's first thought would be to run, but for reasons even he didn't fully understand he chose to fight. 'I've got to see if I've made any progress at all.' was the excuse he gave himself, thought it felt more like self-delusion.

Since Ranma swung the fist holding the shard of glass he managed to put a nasty cut on the tiger's nose. Of course the tiger still managed to pin Ranma on the ground, but it had to pause because of the pain before doing anything else.

"Ranma!" "Ranchan!" Akane and Ukyo shouted together at seeing the pigtailed boy pinned by a tiger. A tiger that now was madder than he originally had been.

Trapped and unable to do anything, Ranma felt something in him snap and take over. He glared at the tiger and his body tensed up, and it felt like some sort of energy once suppressed was now free. All of a sudden he pushed against the tiger and to his surprise he actually managed to throw it off.

"He threw a tiger like it was nothing!" Ukyo said, surprised and relieved.

'Is he using the Neko-ken now?' Akane asked herself, relieved but not as much as Ukyo was.

Ranma right now gave off the same feeling Akane knew him to have when he used the Neko-ken, but he didn't look anything like he normally did. He held himself up like a human, arms looking like they were ready to punch or block but his hands were kept in a claw-like formation.

"Ranma?" Akane asked, not sure how he was going to react.

Ranma glanced at her and Ukyo. "I'm alright, but I feel weird." He heard footsteps approaching but couldn't see who was coming. "I've gotta go. I've got to find Shampoo." Before they could object he jumped off into the trees, and he couldn't help but run on all fours while moving from branch to branch.

"Why does he have to find her?" Ukyo asked as she and Akane followed as best they could on the ground, hoping the tiger wouldn't follow.

"Because she's the other player in the game. He can't finish without her." Akane said, recalling everything Ranma was trying to warn her about that she wouldn't listen to at the time. 'Please Ranma, let that be the only reason you're going to her.'

* * *

_*In canon, Ukyo didn't meet Shampoo until the hot spring race, which hasn't happened yet._


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The windows of the Nekohanten burst open to reveal Ryoga's flying form, struck by one of Shampoo's wall-shattering blows. Thanks to his hard-earned endurance he survived, but he was a bit winded.

"Stand down!" The soldiers ordered, pointing their guns right at Shampoo.

"You no shoot, if Shampoo die game never end and jungle never go away."

"That's preposterous." Shampoo met the man's gaze with her own unwavering eyes.

"You believe boy when he say game cause jungle to grow, but no believe me when say player needed to get rid of jungle?"

"She has a point." The second soldier said to the first one. "Get the game and prove you're telling the truth."

Ryoga came back in the restaurant, looking like he was out for blood. "You are so dead you annoying bimbo."

Shampoo rolled her eyes. "You threaten Airen all time, never once hurt him. You no scare Shampoo."

Mousse threw some weighted chains from his sleeves and managed to entrap the lost boy. "Give Shampoo the game or else."

"He left something in the truck. I'll go get it for you." The second soldier said just before he left the building while the first soldier kept his gun ready.

Ryoga struggled against the chains but they were holding him tightly. Shampoo came up to him and stomped on his feet to inflict some pain on him. While Ryoga was toughened quite a bit thanks to enduring the elements and the Bakusai Tenketsu training, that hurt him just enough to make him stop, at least momentarily.

"Here it is." The soldier came back in with Heian Conglin in his hands. "Is this what you need miss?"

"Yes, that the game."

"So how do you get rid of everything then?" The first soldier asked as Shampoo took the game with no small amount of relief on her features.

"Finish game, everything go away." Shampoo said as she opened it.

"Can you prove that?" The first soldier asked.

"Have to finish game first." Shampoo said then rolled the dice, but nothing happened. "Aiyah, it no my turn." She said as she remembered she had rolled last, resulting in the storm. "Need find Airen, it his turn now."

* * *

Ranma meanwhile was still running through the trees, not sure why he was doing so on all fours rather than like a person. A few monkeys were in the tree minding their own business but he swatted them away as he ran past them, making them upset but unable to follow. Ukyo and Akane were struggling as well, but were lucky to avoid the monkeys.

'Where was I last with Shampoo? I know I was on top of a building but I have no idea which one or if any recognizable buildings were nearby.' He asked himself. 'I should probably check the Nekohanten, maybe she managed to make it back there.'

"Ah Ranma my boy, glad to see you." Happosai said as he showed up and started to run alongside Ranma. "Where's Shampoo?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out. What are you doing?" Happosai chuckled slightly nervously and avoided Ranma's gaze for a moment.

"Right now I'm trying to get away from Cologne. She's a little upset right now."

Ranma stopped and stood on a branch. Happosai kept going for a moment before realizing this and turned around. "What did you do this time?" Ranma asked.

"Nothing I haven't done before." The diminuitive old man stated innocently.

"Then you probably deserve for her to be mad at you." Ranma claimed.

"Still worth it to have these." Happosai said as he held out a pair of panties.

"Really? Even with all this going on you still have to do that?" Ranma asked with much irritation but little surprise.

"You'd be interested to know these are Shampoo's." Happosai added.

That only angered Ranma. "Did you harass her again?"

"No, she left these behind. Finders keepers."

Ranma didn't know what to say. "I can't deal with this now, I need to find Shampoo and the game."

"Any idea where to look for either?" Happosai asked, having put the panties into his pocket before Ranma could attempt to take them away.

"Not a clue. I figured heading to the Nekohanten was a good start. Then trace my steps if Shampoo isn't there."

"You'll definitely need me to teach you how to track in the jungle. It's a little different than doing so in the forest." Happosai stated, then ran off before Ranma could reply.

Cologne managed to reappear just then. "Hi Son-in-law, did you see Happy?"

"Yeah he went that way." The pigtailed young man said while pointing. "Before you go, do you know where Shampoo is?"

"I was hoping she was with you. If she isn't, please keep searching." Cologne said before resuming the chase for Happosai.

Ranma just started running again instead of responding, this time on two feet, with Akane and Ukyo following as best they could.

* * *

Ryoga saw he was no longer the one everyone was focusing on and smirked. He quietly moved to stand behind Mousse and kicked him in the groin from behind, with as much force as he could put into his unbound legs. Needless to say, even though Ryoga's style didn't emphasize kicking, it didn't have to for that attack to hurt.

Mousse yelled and collapsed to his knees clutching his manhood, making everyone reminded of Ryoga again. The lost boy then charged at Shampoo like he was going to headbutt her, and she countered by moving and tripping him, making him skid on the pavement for a moment.

'We may not be able to act against them, but we should get some support in case things get carried away.' One of the soldiers thought before using a walkie-talkie to contact aide.

Shampoo pressed her foot on Ryoga's back to hold him down. "You no go nowhere now pig boy."

Ryoga managed to roll over, forcing Shampoo to release him momentarily but long enough to jump back on his feet. He struggled against his chains more but they would not yield.

Game in hand, Shampoo couldn't decide if she should subdue Ryoga now or ignore him and go locate Ranma. 'Airen probably looking for game now. Look forever if have to.' With that, she turned to the soldiers. "Shampoo go look for partner. You keep this boy away."

"Hold on, you're not going anywhere." One of the soldiers ordered.

Shampoo gave them the sternest look she could make, one that usually was reserved for getting loud customers to shut up or leave the restaurant. "Shampoo was not asking." Before they could respond, she darted off into the jungle with the game.

"We can't let her get away. If that game really is causing all this, there's no telling what's next or if she's even telling the truth about what happens at the end. For all we know this is an eco-terrorist attack combined with sorcery." The firmer of the two soldiers claimed.

"Get me out of these chains and I can take her down for you." Ryoga offered.

* * *

"Shampoo?" Ranma called out, hoping this would help the search quite a bit. He was getting tired of running everywhere, and settled for standing atop one of the buildings calling out. Sure it ran the risk of the army finding him, but he was hopeful Shampoo would find him first. "Shampoo!"

"Ranma!"

"Ranchan!"

He looked down and saw the other two girls he was most familiar with. 'I'm glad both are safe, even Akane, but why are they following me? Doesn't Akane get it that there's nothing she can do here to help me in this? Nah, more likely she's not interested in that and just trying to make sure I do nothing with Shampoo except play the game. Like she has any right to be jealous anymore.'

With that he jumped down to speak to them directly. "Ucchan, Akane, if you want to help me, get out of here. Right now you'd only get in my way."

"But we can help." Akane insisted.

Ranma gave the short-haired Tendo a rather cold look for him, one that reminded her of the looks Nabiki gave when annoyed. "What do you care Akane? You told me you never wanted to see me again. In fact you told me to just drop dead. Why would you want to help me in any way?"

"I didn't mean any of that." Akane told him.

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Yeah right. Wouldn't be the first time you told me to get lost, so obviously you really want me out of your life for good."

"It's the truth. I was just angry."

"Too angry it sounds like." Ukyo mumbled, wisely choosing to stay out of this. The arguing pair ignored her or didn't hear her entirely.

"Look Ranma, I want to apologize." Akane stated, trying to keep her original goal in mind.

Surprised, but skeptical, Ranma held his ground. "For what? I want to know exactly what you're apologizing for. Exactly what you regret doing to me this time."

Something about his tone set off her defense instincts. "Don't give me that attitude. I'm trying to be civil and you thank me by being a jerk about it?"

"What's wrong with what I asked? Is it rude to want to know what you feel sorry for?" Ranma asked back.

"Will you just let me say what I came here to say?" Akane all but demanded, finding herself wanting to hit him again as usual. Her handcuffs wouldn't have hindered her, especially if she used her mallet.

"Fine, but I want to hear why while you're doing it." Ranma plainly told her, leaving no room for argument.

Still fuming and tempted to punish Ranma for his defiance against her, Akane managed to keep to her goal of trying to swallow her pride for once in hopes that would smooth everything out between them. "I want to apologize for the fact you apparently see yourself as a victim. I don't really know how, but Nabiki suggested you do and to a point I can see why. Maybe I don't act the way you want me to, but you don't act the way I'd like you to either and if you won't change you shouldn't expect me to either. That is kind of unfair don't you think?"

Instead of looking relieved to hear this, Ranma looked like he wanted to hit something. "THAT'S your idea of apologizing for what you said to me?"

"What's wrong with what I said? What, are you too good to accept my apology you arrogant nimrod?" Akane said, offended at his refusal.

"Maybe if it wasn't backhanded then I would." Ranma stated.

"Backhanded?" Akane repeated.

"Yeah, I got several from Pop when I was younger. He did something to me like steal my food then said he was sorry but he didn't mean it, he just said it to get me to shut up. And he always phrased it like I was the one who should have been sorry for having a problem with what he did in the first place, like it was my fault he could steal my food. Or my fault he threw me in the cat pit in the first place."

Genma's words from that time went through Ranma's mind, as he remembered when he begged his father not to do the cat fist training anymore. _"I'm sorry I believed you had the strength to endure this. I put in a lot of time and effort to set this up so you could learn an unbeatable technique, and here you are throwing a hissy fit like a girl. I'm so sorry I wasted my time to help you boy. Maybe I should put you in flower arranging classes with the other girls, would that be more fun for you?"_

That was one of the worst things Genma ever said in Ranma's opinion, trying to make Ranma feel like he owed Genma for being thrown into a pit of hungry cats. After that, Ranma's view of his own father went downhill and never truly recovered. He stopped expecting Genma to show any remorse for what he had done. Genma was going to do whatever he wanted and Ranma had to stand up for himself if he didn't like it. Thus they started their heated fights as opposed to just spars. And with that grew a sense of hostility and resentment towards his father, who continued to act like Ranma was being ungrateful.

Ranma got right in Akane's face and for a moment she was actually afraid of him. "Ranma I-"

"Shut it Akane." He stated, silencing her. "However sorry you may be trying to be, obviously you expect me to be sorrier. I can hear it in your voice, you think I'm the one who really should be apologizing, not you. Well not this time Akane. I didn't kick you out of my house, I didn't tell you to go die in a gutter, I didn't try to hit you or say I hated you. Just because you ignore what you say in anger doesn't mean I do."

Akane felt a pang of guilt upon learning her former fiancee took her insults personally, just like how she did when he insulted her. 'Am I really that inconsiderate of how Ranma views things?'

"Airen!" Shampoo shouted, drawing everyone's attention as she ran up to the pig-tailed boy. "Got game back!" She held it up for him to see.

Ranma smiled. "What a relief. Where was it?" He asked when she came up to him.

"Pig boy had it, said to army we try destroy city. He also try keep Shampoo from getting game back."

"Ryoga had it? I'm not surprised."

"I'm sure he wasn't really doing that." Akane defended.

Ranma gave her an irate look, as did Shampoo. "Akane, in case you didn't listen, I told you _he_ was the one who brought out this game in the first place. He _wanted_ all this to happen. Is it really that hard to believe he'd try to prevent me from finishing it? Or set up the army against us? A soldier told me an anonymous source led him right to me. If it wasn't your family or the Amazons who else could possibly have told them I was even connected to the jungle appearing?"

"It could be anyone, but I'm sure it wasn't him. Ryoga wouldn't do that sort of thing." Akane claimed.

'How nice, she'll believe the worst about me at the drop of a yen but for Ryoga she'll defend his honor.' Ranma thought, disgusted by this. "You might not think so anymore Akane. I didn't want to do this, but you may need to hear this. Ryoga got a curse, and he'll blame me for it until the day he dies and maybe long after. He turns into a black pig. Get it? Ryoga IS P-chan, and if you don't believe me, prove me wrong by getting either one of them wet next time you see them."

Akane was stunned. 'Ryoga is P-chan? But... but that can't be. Ryoga wouldn't do something like that to me, not like Ranma who openly peeped on me the very day he even showed up.' She then frowned. "You lie."

"Prove me wrong if you're so certain. All it takes is some hot or cold water." Ranma told her.

"I don't need to prove you wrong. I know P-chan isn't Ryoga."

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Like you _know_ your food tastes good?"

The sounds of roaring engines could be heard and everyone turned to see several army cars pulling up, driving as best they could on the now ruined roads. Among them was General Togo who stepped out of the car. "You didn't really think you could escape the JSDF did you?"

"Wasn't trying to, I was just trying to escape from you." Ranma replied then held out the game. "And look, here's the proof. This game is responsible and if you really want this all to go away my friend and I have to finish it."

"He's lying!" Ryoga shouted, free of his chains and escorted there by some soldiers too. "Finishing the game will only make this jungle become permanent. You need to kill them both before they do more!" 'It's a lie of course, but it's just my word against Ranma's and no one in their right mind would give Ranma any credibility.'

"Not true." Happosai announced as he showed up all of a sudden. "I've dealt with this in the past. The only way to make this go away is to finish it. If anyone here hurts these two, this jungle will be here to stay and could someday take over all of Japan, maybe even the world."

"General, what should we do?" One of the soldiers whispered to Togo.

"There's no way to prove anything until we know for a fact if that game is the means this is all happening. I want to see if that part of the story is true first. Boy, Chinese girl, roll the dice and prove your story." Togo said to the soldier then loudly to Ranma and Shampoo.

"I don't trust this guy." Ranma whispered to the purple-haired Amazon. "Whether we're telling the truth or not he doesn't seem to care, he just wants to put someone behind bars for this. Also he threatened you with deportation."

Shampoo nodded in understanding. "If we win that no more matter."

"Then we better win."

Shampoo handed him the game. "Your turn Airen."

"Sir, you certain this is wise?" Another soldier asked Togo. "If this is true then something new is about to appear."

"You saying you can't handle some wild animal showing up?" Togo asked. "I know the risk, even the possibility that finishing the game will indeed do nothing. But keeping them from finishing won't solve anything. At least this way there's a chance this can all go away, and if not, we can always destroy the jungle."

"What about Nerima? Won't it be destroyed too?"

Togo remained rigid. "An acceptable loss for the good of the country."

Ranma rolled the dice, getting a twelve and the dragon totem moved forward. Shampoo read the appearing inscription. "Rivers of fire and clouds of ash, now the time has come to move fast. Flee or you shall meet your end, for this threat destroys enemy and friend."

"So what's coming now?" Togo asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe a forest fire or something?" Ranma guessed.

Happosai grew pale and shivered. "No it's worse! Run! RUN!" Before anyone could ask for clarification he ran like he was trying to break the sound barrier doing so.

The ground under Ranma and Shampoo began to tremble, and everyone could feel it. Then it began to slow rise, the pavement lightly cracking in places and buildings shaking on their foundations.

"What is this? An earthquake?" Ukyo asked.

"No, it's not. This is different." Ranma said, having been in a light earthquake once when younger. Nothing in the area got damaged but he had felt a distinctive tremor which Genma educated him on for future reference.

The ground continued to rise, taking the shape of a peaking dome and getting higher. Ranma, Shampoo, Akane, and Ukyo got away from it and stayed at the base. But the dome continued to grow.

"What is going on here?" Togo asked, having approached Ranma now.

"I told you not to let this happen." Ryoga told everyone. "Ranma's going to destroy the city now."

"With what? A growing mountain?" The pigtailed young man jibed.

Shampoo suddenly gasped. "Oh no, Airen, we need run."

"What? Why?" He asked.

Cologne appeared, followed by Cologne. "What is this thing?"

"River of fire and cloud of ash, Airen, this no ordinary mountain. We just create volcano." Shampoo stated with fear.

"VOLCANO?" Many people shouted.

The growing mountain trembled a bit, now the size of a skyscraper and covered with a few buildings and trees except at the top, where a fume of smoke could be seen bellowing out of. Even worse, it was getting bigger, and the group was no longer at the base of it but on the slope because of the changing landscape.

"We have to get out of here." Ranma said.

Togo grabbed him by the collar. "You're not going anywhere. You're still under arrest and so is your foreign friend here."

Shampoo quickly punched the prejudiced general in his face with a lot of force, causing him to fly and crash into a tree hard. The soldiers all looked ready to fire but she grabbed Ranma's arm. "Let's go Airen."

He nodded and the two ran off as fast as they could, taking the game with them.

"Oh no you don't!" Ryoga yelled as he ran off to chase them down. Akane and Ukyo chose to follow him, and they were followed by Cologne and Mousse.

Togo recovered with the help of the soldiers, none of which bothered to chase down the runaways. "Go get them."

"Sir, if this really is a volcano we should prioritize evacuating the civilians right now." A soldier stated.

Togo huffed. "You're right. Back to base and step on it. Except for you two." He pointed to a pair of soldiers. "You try to go detain the two players and get the civilians to safety. Don't let them escape."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

The volcano had yet to erupt, but it was getting bigger. It now could be seen in the districts bordering Nerima, where the jungle plants and animals were already spreading to and the army was trying to set up some form of containment for the jungle. So far it wasn't working. Fences and trenches were being grown around and over, and animals were going everywhere they could reach. Flamethrowers so far were the most effective ways of keeping the supernatural plants from spreading, but the army had a limited number of them so the foliage was growing everywhere fire wasn't.

Oddly enough, when it looked like everyone was trying to get out of Nerima, one person actually wanted to get in. They did so with years of experience in stealth and now stood on a treetop, looking over the jungle/city combination that was quickly becoming the former more than the latter.

"Nice to see my game at work, though I'm surprised the boy is letting it get this far. Is he taking his time to make Cologne's pupil suffer more, or did something come up? I better find out."

* * *

At the moment a good portion of the Nerima Wrecking crew were running away from the volcano, which looked like it was going to erupt any second. Most had only the thought of 'Must get away' on their minds, but one of them had one more thought.

'Ryoga can't be P-chan, he just can't be.' Akane told herself, glancing at the lost boy. 'But what if he... no, it's impossible. I saw him get wet once.' She reassured herself, remembering the time she saw him fall in the koi pond and he didn't change. Though she was unaware he had used the waterproof soap. 'Ryoga wouldn't trick me like that. Not like Ranma would, and has done in the past.'

Ukyo on the other hand was a bit different. 'So the lovesick lost boy has a curse of his own it sounds like. One that Ranchan knows about but Akane doesn't. From the sound of things, this P-chan as he put is must be Ryoga's cursed form and has been driving a wedge between them. Ranchan for some reason didn't tell her this before now, so it's likely Ryoga has been blackmailing him like Nabiki would and Ranchan's fed up. Or maybe Ranchan was trying to spare Akane's feelings instead and now decided to get it over with. Yeah, that sounds more like him. Anyway, Akane doesn't look like she wants to believe it, but the only way to know for sure is to get Ryoga wet. If she won't, I will.'

Ryoga himself was glaring at Ranma like never before. 'Dammit, he's not suffering as much as he should be. True he's got the army after him but if he finishes the game it will all be for nothing.' He suddenly got an idea that made him smirk. "Hey Ranma, want to get this all over with?"

Ranma frowned at his old friend. "I'm not interested in fighting you P-chan!" The name reference made a flicker of doubt appear in Akane that she couldn't shake off though she did try.

"Not that. I meant finish the game. I know how to stop all this right now." Ryoga added.

Ranma and Shampoo came to a stop and looked at each other. 'Could he mean...?' They silently asked each other before looking at him. "What are you talking about?" Ranma asked.

Ryoga stopped, as did the other runners who tried to catch their breaths. "This." He said, pulling out an emerald pendant. "If a player holds this and calls out 'I quit' in Chinese, the game will just end."

Ranma and Shampoo glared at the lost boy, surprising him a bit. "You've had that on you this entire time?" Ranma asked, anger filling his voice, surprising those that heard him.

"Now Shampoo see how you get game after we lost it." Shampoo commented.

"You know about this?" Ryoga asked, caught off guard. Ranma was not supposed to know about the pendant. That changed everything.

"Yeah, I know about that. It ensures that you never lose the game, by drawing it to the pendant if it ever gets away from you. And it gives you some level of protection against the jungle. And most importantly of all, if you use it to end the game, you and only you get out of it." Ranma said, looking like he wanted to break more than just one of Ryoga's bone.

"Ranma what are you-?" Akane trying to ask, but he ignored her.

"That was your plan all along, wasn't it Ryoga?" Ranma asked, walking to the lost boy who started to get nervous. "You planned on you and me playing this game, not me and Shampoo. You intended to get me involved in this just far enough that you could use the pendant to end the game, knowing full well that I would disappear with the jungle. That's how you planned to beat me with this game. By using it and that pendant to make me vanish off the face of the earth forever."

Akane and Ukyo gasped at the accusation. "Ryoga, that's not true is it?" Akane asked.

Ryoga snorted. "So what if it is? Ranma deserves to vanish like that. All our lives would have been perfect had he never been born. I'm doing the world a favor by removing him from it. You should be happy Akane. You hate him as much as I do. I'm doing this for you. For all of us."

Akane winced, feeling guilty. While she had many times denied any form of positive emotion to Ranma, somehow hearing someone else agree with her angry words sounded so wrong.

"So you don't deny Ranchan's claim?" Ukyo pressed, noting that Ryoga had all but said yes to what Ranma had asked.

A tremor cut off Ryoga before he could respond, and everyone turned to the volcano. The top was clearly visible over the trees and buildings, and no longer looked like it was getting taller. Smoke was coming out of the top and the ground was shaking.

"Run!" Cologne shouted.

Right away Ryoga reached out and grabbed the game out from Ranma's hands, only possible because Ranma had been distracted, then he ran off in a different direction.

"Hey!" Ranma shouted before he gave chase, followed by Shampoo and the others. "Dammit not again!"

Fortunately Ryoga was not as fast as Ranma so he was caught and pinned down. "I don't have time for your crap." The pigtailed boy said as he took the game back, only to get pinned down himself by a sneak attack from above.

"Who are you?" Cologne asked, seeing an old woman in purple, who looked somewhat familiar, keep Ranma down by using a cane.

"Well well well, long time no see Cologne. Remember me?"

"I've met a lot of people in my life, you can't expect me to recall all of them right away." Cologne replied.

"No time for memory lane, there's a volcano here people." Ranma reminded everyone.

"Right, and I'll take what I came here for then and be on my way." The purple-dressed woman said before dousing Ranma and Ryoga with water, triggering both their curses. Then she grabbed P-chan, the pendant, and the game before anyone could stop her and she ran off like Happosai had before, only this time atop the roofs of the buildings.

"Get back here!" Ranma and Shampoo shouted before, taking to the roofs to follow her, followed themselves by Cologne and Mousse.

Akane froze in place, watching them leave. 'Ryoga got wet, and he changed? Ranma was telling the truth? P-chan was Ryoga? The whole time? THE WHOLE TIME?'

"Akane we got to go." Ukyo told the short-haired girl, shaking her to snap her out of her daze.

"But-"

"No time! That damn thing is about to erupt! You want to be here when it does!" Ukyo shouted before grabbing the girl and running off, showing that she was stronger than she looked. This time, Ukyo ran away from Ranma, not towards. Right now getting out of the blast zone was more important than seeing what her fiancée was doing.

Fortunately for her after turning a corner and running a block they encountered another army car, which accepted both girls and quickly drove out of Nerima.

'Ranchan, be safe.' Ukyo silently wished, looking back into the jungle that had once been a city.

'Ranma, I'm so sorry.' Akane rued. She wasn't sure what she was sorry for, but it felt like the right thing to think just then.

* * *

The runners atop the roofs felt a large tremor and knew they were out of time. That volcano was starting to erupt. But Ranma and Shampoo were determined to get the game back before the thief got away.

Just when Ranma was about to grab said thief, she suddenly turned invisible.

"What the heck?" The redhead all but shouted, stopping and looking around. "Did she really just do that?"

"Where she go?" Shampoo asked, stopping beside her.

"She just vanished into thin air. Can people even do that?"

Elsewhere, the creator of the Umi-senken sneezed.

"Great-grandmother, who was that?" Shampoo asked her mentor.

"I don't know. Obviously someone who knows about the game. Likely that was the person who gave it to young Hibiki in the first place." She answered.

A blast was heard and everyone saw a cloud growing around the volcano, and it was growing quickly.

"No time. We need to leave now, game or no game."

Ranma and Shampoo didn't disagree with the elderly woman for once.

* * *

When the volcano went off, a cloud of ash covered all of Nerima and the jungle as well, blotting out the sun and plunging the city into a pseudo-darkness. Animals ran off or found places to hide, but some were killed from the ash, smothered or suffocated to some degree, or crushed by fallen trees or buildings. Lava came too, destroying many buildings on and around the mountain.

A rainstorm came that evening, one normal for the region and in no way created by Heian Conglin, which washed away most of the ash and cooled the lava slowly. It wasn't until night came that Nerima seemed calm again, but by that time there was virtually no city left except for ruins. The jungle had completely taken over, and it was spreading.

The army had done its job and taken the civilians out of Nerima into the various other districts, resulting in few confirmed casualties but a number of missing persons reports. Akane was reunited with her family and had her handcuffs removed, and Ukyo was away on the phone with her father, having been told she was going to be relocated back with her family during this mess, much to her dismay.

"What's going to happen to us?" Akane asked, uncertain and afraid. At the moment it was night and they were in a shelter waiting for the army to direct them to a new location.

"I was able to contact my parents in Sendai. We're going to be sent there until this can be cleared up." Soun told them.

"Oh my, we haven't seen Grandma and Grandpa in years." Kasumi claimed.

Soun nodded. "They'll be happy to see you girls again."

"What about the panda?" Nabiki asked, pointing to Genma.

"What do you mean? Of course he's coming with us." Soun told her, shocked she would even ask.

"Good luck. I'm surprised we haven't been ordered to release him into the wild yet, or he hasn't been taken to a zoo by now. These soldiers here may have different ideas in mind for him then you do."

"We'll just have to sneak him out of here discreetly." Soun suggested.

Nabiki resisted the urge to roll her eyes with great difficulty. "Discreetly? Not exactly a word I'd use to describe you Dad. And I'm pretty sure you can get arrested for panda-smuggling if caught."

'I'm a person dammit!' Genma angrily signed.

"Good luck convincing others." The mercenary said, then looked at her younger sister who looked so forlorn. "What's eating you Akane?"

"I don't know where to start." Akane simply answered, refusing to make eye contact. "But you were right, getting Ranma back isn't going to be as simple as I thought it was."

Nabiki nodded. "What are you going to do if you do get him back after all this?"

Akane sighed. "Stop hitting first and asking no questions later. Apparently I don't know as much as I think I do regarding Ranma."

Nabiki lightly smiled. "And what if he still doesn't want to come back? What will you do then?"

Akane withheld a sob but a tear escaped. "I... I don't know."

'Good, my plan's on track.' Nabiki thought.

Nabiki's 'plan' as she put it was unlike most of her other schemes or acts in the past. Ever since Ranma arrived she saw that he and Akane had friction between them, but unlike the others in her family she was aware that there was a strong chance it would lead to something other than an eventual happy ending. For the most part, she left herself out of it, only occasionally trying to get others to realize the tension between them wasn't going to magically disappear someday. So far it wasn't working.

When Akane cast Ranma out of the house and got beaten by Shampoo in a spar just before a conjured stampeded damaged their property, Nabiki had decided the time for staying out of things was over. However, she couldn't just butt in and get the proper results, she instead had to lead Akane into making her own choice. That is what her plan was, her way of getting Akane to realize once and for all that she had to make an official decision rather than procrastinate.

If this worked, Nabiki foresaw two possible outcomes both beneficial to herself and by extension to Akane and Ranma as well. The first outcome was Akane deciding she was better off without Ranma in her life. This would allow her to stop being angry so much and keep the chaos away from their home, something Nabiki wanted even if it meant no more pictures of girl-type Ranma to sell. The second outcome was Akane deciding to be fairer to Ranma than she had been before. If he refused to come back to her, the first outcome would still happen so Nabiki and Akane would be no worse off. If he gave her another chance, Akane would have to learn to not take Ranma's presence for granted and make an effort to establish a romance of some degree, which should encourage better behavior from him in return, which would force him to get rid of the others butting into their love life and ultimately lead to a happier life between them with less chaos.

Either way, Nabiki expected the result to be easier on their finances. That had been her major concern, with Akane's love life being a sort of side effect more than a direct beneficiary. Nabiki didn't provide the funds for their family like most people presumed, no one could make such a fortune with mere schoolyard betting rings and blackmail tactics. The Tendo's main source of income was from an inheritance from Soun's dead wife, given to all four of them. The family had been careful with it, even depositing most of it in accounts with accumulating interests and mutual stocks, but it wasn't going to last much longer with all the expenses the Saotomes added. Nabiki had withdrawn her portion of the inheritance and hid it away in separate stocks so she wouldn't have to share her portion with the others. So far it had panned out quite well, no one else knew the truth and she intended to keep it that way. But with the daily chaos attributed to Ranma she occasionally had to dip into her personal savings to keep them out of the red, something she didn't appreciate all that much. Her schoolyard system was sort of a cover for her unexpected extra money as well as a way of keeping her stocks from being a first resort if she could help it.

So when the game came up and Akane blew up in Ranma's face, Nabiki saw a way to make all the chaos stop or at least slow down. Ranma leaving was actually the result she preferred, but since Akane wasn't guaranteed to want that for long she prepared for the possibility of his return. The only way she'd accept that was if the damage and expenses slowed down if not stopped altogether. She was tired of covering the bill since no one else would. If Ranma came back, she was determined that it was going to be to her standards, the problem was getting Akane to want those standards too.

So far it looked like it was working. The only part not confirmed was the choice Ranma was going to make.

* * *

"Is it clear?"

Ranma, male again, poked his head outside. He and the Amazons had taken shelter in the first building they could get inside, keeping them out of the ash covering the city. The rain outside triggered his curse back to girl, making her groan and go back inside.

"It's raining but I don't see any lava or soldiers anywhere. But I still think we shouldn't go out until the rain stops."

Shampoo nodded, getting her fiancee some warm water, grateful the utilities still worked. "Shampoo understand. Rain bad for us."

Happosai was joining them, having encountered them on his own search for shelter. "So you said this woman showed up and stole the game?" Cologne nodded, making him sigh. "I think I know who it is, the Amazon who gave me and Soap the game."

"Why would she be here too?" Ranma asked, turning back into a man.

"No idea, but it makes sense to me. She might have been cast out of the tribe or left before anyone could stop her, taking the game with her. I just wish I could remember her name. Pa-something, Pi-something, I don't remember."

"The way I see it, we have only one choice." Cologne said. "I have to return to Joketsuzoku and consult my fellow elders on this matter. If Heian Conglin was part of our village there must be some record of it there. If I'm correct we can find out who this woman is and if there's more to the game we don't know yet."

"So we have to go to China?" Ranma asked.

Cologne shook her head. "No, I'm going back. You and Shampoo need to stay here." Both teens were about to object, but she held up her hand. "Remember what Happy said, the jungle goes where you go. Right now it's limited to this area, we really don't want it spreading any further than it has to. For that reason you two must remain here in Japan and search for the game while I do my own search. Also, Mousse, I know you won't agree with this but I need you to come with me to China."

"Okay." He said.

"Excuse me?" Cologne asked, more than a bit surprised that he actually did agree to her order for once.

"I'd just be in the way if I stayed." He answered.

Both Cologne and Shampoo could tell there was more to his agreement than just that, but neither were going to call him up on it.

"I'll stay and help Ranma and Shampoo manage the jungle." Happosai offered. "I have experience in this terrain so I can help them find edible plants and teach them how to track and hunt the animals here. Their current experience is for forests and mountains, not jungle. Also, I should be able to help fend off this unknown Amazon when we eventually track her down."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of you being around my great-granddaughter like this, but you have a point." Cologne relented. "This should not take me long, I think at most a month or two."

"Why that long?" Ranma and Shampoo asked.

"With this going on getting out of the country is going to be difficult, especially since the JSPF will be preparing for us to escape. I may be forced to leave by boat and quite discreetly at that. Getting back here will be just as hard. And I'm assuming it won't take long to find out about Heian Conglin back home, but I can't promise how long that will take. I will make this trip as short as possible, but it can't be gone in a week or so."

Ranma sighed. "Alright, if we're lucky we'll find the game soon and finish it before you even have to get back."

"Also, you two will need to hide in the jungle for the duration of the game." Happosai added. "The army is hunting you two now like fugitives. Shampoo will stand out in a crowd, as will Ranma's girl form. The safest place for you two right now is this jungle."

"Seriously? With the volcano and tigers and poisonous snakes and everything else, you want us to stay there?" Ranma asked.

"Would you rather be arrested and executed?" Happosai responded.

"Or drag more innocent lives into this?" Cologne added.

Ranma relented. "I guess it's no different than most of my life, hiding from angry people in the wilderness, except this time I can't blame Pop for it."

"Mousse and I will depart tomorrow. Happy, keep your hands off Shampoo and her clothes while I'm gone." Cologne claimed, receiving nods from everyone.

* * *

"Nice progress boy, but apparently you made a mistake somewhere along the line." Perfume told a passed out Ryoga who was laying on the ground after she returned him to human form. "Whatever the mistake, I'm going to ensure Cologne's student can't finish this. And neither can you."

She reached for the back of his bandanna where the knot was and removed a jewel brooch that had been covered by the cloth and his hair. "I wonder if anyone would have guessed he had this on him." Putting it away, she pulled out a bottle of shampoo and began washing Ryoga's hair in a precise way.

Chuckling evilly to herself, Perfume left the lost boy where he laid, heading back to her home with the game and the pendant.

* * *

"Everyone, we have a situation on our hands." Togo addressed his fellow generals, superiors, and even representatives for the daimyo. "A confirmed eco-terrorist attack has happened in the Nerima ward of Tokyo. The city has been evacuated and destroyed, and the damage is spreading to neighboring cities. Unless we take immediate drastic action, it could someday destroy the entire country."

"How?" One of the colonels asked.

"I am aware of how this sounds, but apparently it is being accomplished by supernatural means. If you require proof, let me point out that there is now an active volcano where none once stood, plants are growing at an unnatural rate, and there were no weather reports to confirm a near-typhoon two days ago. As hard as it is to believe, supernatural methods are the only way to explain how all this is happening."

Photos and written witness statements were passed around the room, showing the jungle and effect it was having. "How serious do you think this is?" The head of the JSPF asked.

"From what we estimate, this unnatural jungle could spread to engulf the entire Honshu island, maybe even spread to the rest of Japan and even to the continent." Togo answered. "It is already trying to take over Niiza, Asaka, and Itabashi. We are working to stop it but we can only do so much. I fear nothing short of a bomb may stop it entirely and I really disapprove of dropping a bomb on our own soil. It was bad enough when the Americans did that to us in World War Two."

"Who is causing all this?"

Togo handed out two photos of male-Ranma and Shampoo. "These two are confirmed by witness reports, confession, and I myself saw them create the volcano. The boy's name is Ranma Saotome, a reported troublemaker around Nerima connected to many acts of public indecency and destruction of property, along with being considered by many to be more than just a public nuisance. The girl is only known as Shampoo, not sure if that's her real name or not, reported to be an illegal alien and guilty of attempted murder and destruction of property in the past as well."

"How are they causing this?"

"By a means I could never have imagined. They are using a cursed board game." Togo said, finding it difficult to admit it to others. "The two claim they were forced into starting this and wish only to end it, stating if they finish the game all this will go away. I find this doubtful, for if that were true they would have never brought it to the city in the first place. People have died because of this game, homes destroyed, lives ruined. Will all that just go away? No. It is clear they are doing this with the intent to destroy our civilization and make the world the sort of place all those tree-huggers yearn for."

The people in the room found it a bit far-fetched but they couldn't deny the evidence. Volcanoes and trees don't just appear out of nowhere after all. And terrorists weren't always big groups. Sometimes it was just a couple of activists that got a bit too active in the eyes of others.

"What exactly do you recommend General?" The director asked.

"I'd recommend containing the jungle while trying to locate and arrest these two teenagers."

The group discussed this among themselves for a few minutes.

"Then it's decided." The director said, standing up. "Proceed with relocating the citizens of Nerima away from the city, preferably to family if possible. Then do whatever it takes to get rid of this jungle as soon as possible. And as of this moment, Ranma Saotome and this Shampoo are enemies of the country to be arrested on sight by any means necessary."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

The morning after the eruption, the hunt for Ranma and Shampoo was on. Certain the volcano wasn't going to erupt again, soldiers went into Nerima looking for the wanted pair, and by default anyone else who was still in the terraformed city.

Fortunately Nerima was a large place to hide in, and Japanese army equipment wasn't really meant for the new terrain. Even if it was, they had to diverge most of their funds regarding stopping the spread of the jungle more than going into it. And doing so was proving to be more difficult then they had imagined.

"General Togo, we have problems with containment." One of the soldiers told the man currently in charge of the Nerima situation.

"Tell me something I don't know." Togo replied without even bothering to look at the man.

"Our initial plans for preventing the spread of the jungle are proving inadequate. The city is over forty-eight square kilometers in size and irregularly shaped. Surely you must realize that barricading the city overnight is impossible. As I speak the jungle has spread to every neighboring prefecture where evacuations are in progress. That makes containment all the more impossible."

"I am aware of this. And don't call me Shirley." Togo said, unable to resist using one of his favorite jokes.

"With all due respect General, we seem to be fighting an uphill battle." The soldier continued. "With us working on evacuations first, the jungle gets to spread, allowing the plants and animals to multiply. With it spreading, by the time we have the district evacuated it becomes completely overtaken and the next one over gets infected. Which means we have to evacuate that district too which repeats the cycle. At the rate the jungle is growing compared to the rate we can work against it, it seems impossible for us to contain it."

"We then have to evacuate and prepare a barricade at the same time." Togo claimed.

"We don't have the manpower or numbers for that General. The higher ups have given us all the people and resources that can be spared. Even if you were able to convince them for more right away, by the time reinforcements got here there'd be even more work to do. We're already spending a fortune on fuel for fire machines."

Togo now faced this soldier with a patientless expression. "Is there a point to all this or are you just complaining?"

"Some others and myself see only two possible ways for containment to be effective." The soldier answered, trying to sound convincing. "The simplest way would be to only partially contain the jungle. That is, stop the spread into the other districts and ignore the spread to the north where the mountains and unpopulated areas are. By redirecting the soldiers positioned there to the south, east, and west, we stand a better chance at slowing it down enough to do something more effective. It's also possible that by allowing it to spread in one direction it will slow down the spread elsewhere."

Togo thought it over. "It has merit, but it's risky since the jungle would be spreading beyond the Kanto region. What's the other possible way?"

"If total containment is the only way, then something drastic will be required. Something like wide trenches created to ring around the jungle, positioned just far enough to ensure the jungle can't reach them before the trenches are completed. And wide enough to ensure the plants and animals can't simply go over them."

Togo shook his head. "Doing so would require machinery we don't have and cause a lot of needless destruction to the general area. So that is not an option."

"General, if you can think of something better than I just gave you, then by all means share it." The soldier politely challenged.

Togo looked away in an effort to avoid admitting he didn't have a better idea. "Let's proceed as we have been, and if we haven't made any significant results in twenty-four hours... we'll take the first idea into serious consideration."

* * *

Unable to reach their destination in a day, the Tendo family had to stop at a hotel in Utsunomiya. Soun had to pay for it since Nabiki was keeping up her masquerade of having less money than she really did. Genma had to sleep outside since the hotel had a 'No animals' policy. At least they weren't asking why this family had a panda with them.

"Dad, you and I need to talk." Akane said when she and her father had a moment of privacy.

"Okay Akane, what is it?" Soun asked, seated outside to have a cigarette. Akane sat in a spot to avoid having the smoke come at her.

"It's about you and how you ruined my engagement to Ranma."

"What?" He said, dumbfounded by the accusation.

"You heard me. My engagement to Ranma is ruined now, maybe beyond repair, and it's your fault." Akane said with a little heat in her tone. "It just had to be on your terms didn't it? You wouldn't let me and Ranma handle it our way, go at our pace. No, we had to fall in love on _your_ schedule, at _your _convenience, not ours. Never ours. You just had to push me and him together before we were ready, and now thanks to that he can't stand the sight of me anymore. So way to go Dad, Ranma dumped me for another girl and it's all your fault."

As usual, Soun withered under his daughter's anger. "But Akane, I was just trying to help you two."

"How? How was pushing us to get married right away going to help us? Why did we have to fall in love on sight and want to get married? Why did it have to be so soon? Why couldn't you have waited for us to do it our way?"

"We... we couldn't take that chance." Soun replied. "Genma and I knew you two were against the engagement and if we left you to your own devices you both would have continued pretending it never existed. We had to push you two. It was the only way to get results."

"What if we were happier doing things our own way? What if you succeeded and we ended up truly hating each other? Tell me Dad, what was so important about our being married right away that you didn't care if we were happy about it?"

"What? I cared-"

"Don't give me that Dad." Akane cut him off. "If you cared you would have asked. You would have given me a way out. You would have let me and Ranma handle this without pressure. But no, you pushed and pushed and pushed. Me being happy wasn't important to you, what was important was your stupid agreement to your friend."

"You would have been happy with Ranma, and he would have been happy with you." Soun insisted.

"I don't think so anymore." Akane complained quietly.

"I know it's true. Ranma cared about you Akane. He still does, he just doesn't know where his priorities are supposed to be." Soun tried to reassure her. "Remember when you ate that Super Soba? If Ranma didn't care about you he never would have given you the antidote I gave him."

Akane blinked. "Wait, you gave him the antidote?"

Soun nodded. "Where did you think he got it from?"

Akane narrowed her eyes. "Wait, if you had it why didn't you just give it to me yourself? You had to know Ranma doesn't always say things the right way and that I wasn't likely to listen to him at the time. If you cared you would have come to me yourself, so why make Ranma do your job for you?"

"Umm... I thought you would see it as a sign he loved you?" Soun weakly defended.

Akane huffed. "Yeah right. At the time I was for once stronger than Ranma, something he always held over my head, then he comes up and tells me he has something that can take all that away from me, and you expect me to think that's a romantic gesture? You know what, I think you knew full well how I was going to react and used Ranma as a lightning rod so I wouldn't turn my anger towards you. Am I right?"

Normally when his daughters got upset with him, Soun fell apart like a house of cards in the rain. Despite his years of martial arts training, Soun was surprising feeble in the face of adversity. Sure, he could stand up for himself to a point like everyone else, but against Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane? Not once. He just couldn't handle the thought that they were unhappy with him. If they were unhappy, then it meant they might... well, he wasn't entirely sure what they would do, but he didn't ever want to find out.

However, this time was different. Maybe it was the stress of having his home destroyed and family relocated for an indeterminate amount of time. Maybe it was the subject on which he was being berated on which meant a lot to him. Maybe it was the fact that Akane was sounding like she was almost trying to deny any responsibility for her own past actions regarding the engagement and shifting blame all onto him. Or maybe it was some combination of these factors. Whatever the reason, this time Soun decided to stand up to his daughter.

"Akane, I don't need to justify my every decision to you." The Tendo patriarch said firmly, catching his daughter off guard. "Remember, I am the parent here, not you. What I do I do for a reason, I do not need your permission to do what I do. What I tell you and don't you isn't meant for you to decide. Like it or not, there are some things you're better off not knowing."

"I think I have a right to know why you believe I can't marry Ranma soon enough. Seriously, what's so bad about taking our time? What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Soun shot her a glare that made her voice freeze. "You don't want to know Akane. You will never want to know."

'He's keeping something from me. It's almost like he needs us to get married right away, like somehow our lives depend on it.' Akane told herself. "Alright Dad, I won't ask about it anymore. It seems like a moot subject anyway."

"Only until the game ends and we can go home. Then we can get you two together right away." Soun replied.

Akane sighed with much impatience. "I didn't say I agreed to that. Besides, I get the feeling I've pretty much lost any chance with Ranma. By the time this is over, Shampoo will have won him over entirely."

"Doesn't matter. He needs to marry you. I will not allow anything else to happen."

Akane rolled her eyes. "You sound just like Cologne." She then got up to leave. "One more thing Dad, it turns out that my pet pig P-chan is really Ryoga with a curse. I asked Kasumi and Nabiki if they knew about it but they said no, and were quite upset about it. Did you know?"

Soun sweatdropped a bit. "Uhh... no. How could I? I mean, it's not like I saw the boy change form or anything."

Akane was wide-eyed, easily able to see through the lie. "You... you knew? You knew?!"

"I thought you knew and were just being nice to the boy." Soun claimed.

On the verge of crying, Akane ran off, leaving Soun to wonder how much this was going to cost him.

* * *

Ukyo was on board a train watching the scenery pass by on her trip back to Kyoto, to be with her father until the situation in Nerima could be resolved.

'I never got to say good-bye to Ranchan.' She thought with regret.

* * *

Cologne and Mousse were lucky to find a ship leaving for China right away the next morning. And they considered themselves more than just lucky when no one stopped them from buying tickets. Cologne could only assume that the army was preoccupied or hadn't been able to identify the two of them, instead focusing more on Ranma and Shampoo. Either way, they were going back to China undisturbed. They had to leave from one of Tokyo's ports so they had to go around Japan to reach China, but it was better than nothing.

"So Mr. Part Time, care to tell me exactly why you didn't resist being pulled away from Shampoo this time?" Cologne asked when they were at sea.

Mousse was cleaning his glasses then put them back on before he answered. "Let's just say I need a second opinion from someone who can give me one without insulting me at the same time."

* * *

"Where am I? What's going on here?" Ryoga asked himself while walking down a road. He knew he was in a city but he saw no one around.

A car was driving to him and stopped. It was a civilian car, not an army vehicle. "Hey, you shouldn't be walking around like this out here. This place is getting dangerous." The driver said after he rolled the window down.

Ryoga shrugged. "I can handle it. I'm no stranger to dangerous situations."

"You don't understand. The cities in this area are being evacuated. Everyone has to leave, no one is allowed to go the direction you're going."

"What? Why? What happened?" Ryoga asked.

"We're not sure. But we're not waiting to find out. You want a ride to somewhere safe?" The driver offered.

Ryoga shook his head. "No need to trouble yourself, I'll just turn around." Ryoga said, seeing the car around had four people in it including the driver and was packed heavily. Ryoga turned and walked off.

"Hey, that's the wrong direction!" The driver warned. Ryoga had meant to do a 180 turn, but somehow only made a 90 turn to the right without realizing it, leading him down a different road.

* * *

"Alright you two, before we do anything we must first set up some ground rules for surviving in this place." Happosai told Ranma and Shampoo as all three were hiding in a tree.

The two teens shared a look. While neither were exactly in favor of letting the old pervert be in charge, they had to admit he was the voice of experience here so they had to at least hear him out before they objected.

"First rule, no leaving the jungle. The army is going to try and handle this place from the outside rather than the inside so as long as you're within the limits you should be safe from direct conflict. When we need anything from outside I will go to the other cities to get such provisions as I'm sure they are not looking for me. If there ever comes a time when you two must leave the jungle, you both will have to go in your curse forms to avoid being spotted right away. Also, Ranma, your girl form will need to dye her hair and wear it a different way in those times since red hair in a braid will stand out."

Ranma and Shampoo nodded, surprised by how reasonable this was.

"Second rule, try to stay near the edge of the jungle but not too close. If the army surprises me by trying to destroy the center of the jungle first we don't want to be there, so sticking by the border helps keep us in a relative clear zone from them. Also it will encourage the jungle to spread more. Now I know you two are against that, but you two are being hunted by the army. The bigger the jungle is, the more room you have to hide from them. Also it is a deterrent from any drastic measures they might take."

"What you mean?" Shampoo asked.

"Right now a single bomb would end the problem once and for all." Happosai answered, shocking them. "Luckily Nerima is too close to the heart of Japan to permit such a thing. Dropping a bomb on the jungle would in the long run do more harm to the country than good. But in case the army decides to go ahead with a bombing anyway, we need the jungle to get bigger. Big enough that one bomb would not be able to fix the problem, and therefore the amount of bombing necessary to solve the problem would destroy the entire country. So by making the jungle bigger, we're keeping Japan from becoming a wasteland instead."

"It feels wrong, but it makes sense." Ranma stated.

Happosai nodded. "Third rule, you two must always be together. We can't risk anything happening to you two that will prevent you from finishing the game. Having the game back won't matter if one or both of you no longer can roll the dice or face the threats yet to come. You two need to defend each other, train together, hunt together, even bathe together if that's what it takes. And if necessary, only one of you should sleep at a time while the other keeps watch for a shift."

"You sure about that?" Ranma asked, blushing at the thought. 'I showered with Shampoo only out of necessity, now he's saying that it's mandatory?'

Shampoo blushed too, but she was less opposed to the notion.

Happosai nodded. "Yes Ranma. You want to risk Shampoo being killed because you weren't around to have her back? Or the same happening to you because she wasn't around? Now is more about survival than modesty. Besides, this is how me and Soap handled the game when we were in the jungle."

"And look where that got you." Ranma jibed, but regretted it once he saw the angry/hurt look on the old man's face. "Sorry, that was going too far."

"Yes, it was." Happosai proclaimed. "Fourth rule, don't object to my orders. Remember I'm the experienced one here. I've been in this jungle, I've seen what it has to throw at you. Maybe not all, but no one can help you now except me. If you want my help, don't fight it. Pay attention to what I say and follow it. I'm trying to help you win this after all, why would I set you but for failure?"

"We get that, but we're not going to let you use us for your perverted needs." Ranma firmly stated.

Happosai took a deep breath. "I suppose I could make an effort to fulfill my addiction outside the jungle, but remember boy that when I need a woman's touch there's no substitute. If I need it I need it, simple as that. There may come a time you two will have to let me get my fix because there's nowhere else for me to. Just keep that in mind."

"Any more rules?" Shampoo asked, trying to change the subject.

"Just one. When we find the Amazon woman who took the game, don't go easy on her."

Ranma and Shampoo nodded. "No problem with that."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

A deer was grazing by itself in the shade of some trees near a small river. It was alert as usual but sensed no predators in the area. All of a sudden a wooden spear went through it's neck, making it drop dead on the ground.

"Nice shot Airen."

Ranma gathered up the fallen deer. "Good thing you spotted it. Now we can eat before it gets dark."

"Glad we both getting good at catching our food. So much easier than sneaking into town each night." Shampoo said, her Japanese improving with no one but Ranma and Happosai to talk to for the past two months.

It had been two months since Ranma and Shampoo had been forced to hide in the growing jungle of Heian Conglin. Fifty-eight days to be exact, which meant it had been sixty-one days since they started the game in the first place. It was impossible to keep track of time in the jungle, the date and time of day meaning nothing to them by now. They measured time solely by sunlight and the time between storms. Rain fell on occasion, but there had been only one major storm since the first one, and true to the game's prediction it came on a full moon night. Judging from the present moon, a third storm would hit again soon.

The jungle was affecting everywhere it touched. It was blending into the Japanese landscape as if to appear like it had always been there, like Japan had always been covered in jungle. The climate was always warm, almost tropic in feel despite Japan's normal climate. The native plants and animals of Japan that could adapt to this new environment have, but the ones that couldn't died for one reason or another or moved to the unaffected areas. And the plants and animals that came with the game were multiplying and spreading, too much to be natural. It was like the game was magically adding new ones since the affected area was getting big enough for them to fit. Civilized areas, what few they could find by now, were being overgrown and looked like ruins. By now Ranma and Shampoo avoided those areas, for they were painful reminders of what their curiosity regarding the game had led to.

Living in the jungle under Happosai's guidance had proven surprisingly easy. Mostly that had been because of the times both Ranma and Shampoo had to camp out and live off the land during their time training, but the other part of it was Happosai's contributions. It turns out that the old lech really knew what he was talking about when it came to surviving in the jungle. He already had kept Ranma and Shampoo from eating poisonous jungle mushrooms and taught them how to track and hunt the animals. Despite their time in the wild before Nerima, Ranma and Shampoo had done little actual hunting, usually resorting to snares and fishing instead when they needed meat. Now they were able to take down deer and even a tiger.

-Flashback-

It was the sixth day they were in the jungle, their exact location unknown and irrelevant. Armed with nothing but household knives, the two were making an effort to hunt down some food. It had been difficult but they exhausted their stored rations yesterday and they were getting hungry. Forging for fruit would not keep them fed for long.

"Let's start with something simple. Like a tapir." Happosai instructed. "They may not look appetizing but like they say, any port in a storm. They've got more meat than you'd think and they're easy to sneak up on. The best places to strike to kill on any animal are the eyes and neck, quick kill and and little damage to the meat itself. Now the best places to find tapirs are in shallow rivers so let's start there."

Fortunately their first lesson in jungle survival had been in finding drinkable water, so that was the easy part. The hard part was dealing with what they encountered when they got there, for it was no tapir. It was a tiger, enjoying a drink.

Ranma stiffened, as did the others. Shampoo took his hands in hers to reassure him he did not have to panic. "It okay Airen, we just walk away. Tiger no see us, no attack us." She whispered, trying to calm him.

Ranma nodded and started to step backwards, only to snap a branch on the first step.

The tiger looked up and saw them, and it actually looked like it recognized the martial artist that had rolled the dice that allowed it to exist in the jungle. And apparently it wanted to show its gratitude by attacking Ranma.

Not that escape wasn't going to be easy, Shampoo pulled out her sword and took position in front of her beloved. "Shampoo handle this Airen."

"No Shampoo, I should get this." He countered.

"Airen, Shampoo usually let you fight own fights because Shampoo know you prefer it that way, but this your worst enemy."

"That's why I have to be the one to do this." He insisted, getting next to her. Luckily the tiger was stalled, trying to decide which one to go for. Happosai hid in a tree watching, wondering what would happen.

"Airen?" Shampoo asked, wondering if he knew what he was saying or too proud to do anything else.

"I need to test myself. If I can fight this tiger, I'll know I'll have beaten my fear." He said.

Impressed but still concerned, Shampoo stepped aside. "Okay Airen, but Shampoo ready to join if needed."

Ranma stepped towards the tiger, his heart pounding in his ears. The tiger finally pounced, and Ranma dived under it. The large cat turned around when it landed and so did Ranma, but the boy was faster. Armed with his knife, Ranma went right for its ribs and stabbed it. The tiger roared and hit him with his paw, sending Ranma away to crash painfully.

"Airen!" Shampoo shrieked.

Ranma got back up and wobbled for a moment, noticeably bleeding a bit, but he held his ground. Both Happosai and Shampoo noted that his battle aura felt different now, but neither could accurately describe it. The tiger probably felt it too and hesitated, but it was mad at the pigtailed boy for stabbing it and wanted to punish him.

The tiger came at Ranma who stood waiting for it. It reared on its hind legs to attack and Ranma actually grabbed the front paws and held it, looking like he was trying to push it back. Caught by surprise the tiger fell on its back and Ranma pinned it down with his foot, pressing hard but not lethally hard.

"Airen?" Shampoo asked. "What you do now?" Something about his battle aura right then felt different to her. 'It like he much stronger now. Shampoo feel... like must submit to him. Why?'

"I don't know." He replied, looking at the tiger. In the great cat's eyes he saw panic. The tiger was afraid of him this time, pleading for mercy. For some reason he couldn't identify, seeing that humbled Ranma, made him feel sorry for the animal. With that, he released it, and even carefully removed the knife from its side.

Freed, the tiger got back on its feet and licked its wound, then looked at Ranma. To his surprise, the tiger appeared to bow to him.

"What the heck?" Ranma asked himself. The tiger didn't move, even when Happosai and Shampoo came up to Ranma, and the pigtailed boy carefully put his hand on the tiger's head. At his touch the striped feline relaxed.

"Airen, what you do?" Shampoo asked, still feeling like she should bow to him too for some reason.

"I'm just as confused as you are."

-End Flashback-

To the present day that tiger had remained submissive to Ranma, and by default Shampoo and Happosai. At first it bothered them, but by now they were used to it. The tiger was now their unofficial pet since it wouldn't leave. They could only guess at why this animal was apparently domesticated now.

-Flashback-

"Ranma, did anything happen to you before I got involved?" Happosai asked the day after he 'acquired' the tiger.

"I already told you everything." Ranma said. At the moment the tiger was laying down behind him. Ranma was quite nervous, but mostly he was confused.

"Alright, then what were you doing before you started the game?" Happosai added.

"I was working on my cat phobia so my enemies couldn't ever use it against me." Ranma clarified.

"Cat phobia?" Happosai asked, then silently gasped. "Ranma, were you subjected to Neko-ken training?"

Ranma nodded. 'I had hoped he'd never find out since Happosai's exactly the type of person I feared would take advantage of it. But now it's inescapable, just like this jungle.'

"Hmm... you experienced Neko-ken training, and it you were working on a phobia that means the training was effective." Happosai analyzed. "Ranma, were you in any way successful in overcoming your fear?"

"Somewhat, I'm not afraid of Shampoo anymore but I only got that far when the game started. I did manage to hold my own against a tiger before the volcano, but I felt weird doing it. I can't really describe it better than that."

Happosai thought it over. "I have a theory about the Neko-ken, one that's never been proven. Ever since I learned of it, I suspected the training described was incomplete. I highly doubt the person who designed the Neko-ken was content to let the learner become cat-phobic and mentally unstable. So I wondered if there was a step missing, one that would allow the practitioner to have the intended results. My best guess was for the martial artist to overcome the fear."

"Wait, you think my Neko-ken has improved instead of disappeared?" Ranma asked.

"It's possible. The main theory behind the Neko-ken is that it can't be done without the fear. The fear is a requirement for the technique. My theory is that the fear is just another part of the training, a self-induced obstacle to overcome. Those that won't try to overcome their fear remain as they are, but those that do try show they have more control over themselves, and with that, they should get control over the Neko-ken as well."

Ranma and Shampoo were surprised. They had both assumed that by getting rid of his fear Ranma would lose the ability to use the Neko-ken entirely. But if this was true he was actually perfecting it.

"You sure about that?" Ranma asked.

"Again boy, this is just a theory. Only time will confirm it or not. But if I am right, then I'd say that might be why the tiger is obeying you. You may be projecting some kind of aura that effects cats, like a dominant alpha aura." Happosai replied.

"That explain why Shampoo feel funny before." The purple-haired Amazon commented. "Shampoo cat side must feel effect too."

"Or maybe it was your human side that's attracted to him." Happosai added. "Anyway, the important thing is the tiger doesn't seem dangerous. And maybe we can use that to our advantage."

-End Flashback-

So far the tiger's company had proven helpful to an extent. It kept other threats away and seemed more alert to changes in the jungle than any of them did, even Happosai. Fortunately it took care of feeding itself so that part wasn't a hassle. When it came clear the tiger wasn't going to leave, they decided to give it a name. Happosai suggested Kahn, after a tiger from The Jungle Book. Shampoo suggested Rantora, combination of Ranma and Tora. Ranma, not wanting to name a cat after himself, chose Kahn as the name.

Kahn may have been the strangest change Ranma had to deal with in this time in the jungle, but the most welcome one had occurred a month ago during the game's second storm.

-Flashback-

The downpour outside could probably be best described as torrential. Ranma and Shampoo had caught the warning signs ahead of time and took shelter in one of the abandoned buildings before they got wet. Happosai had been out on one of his various private outings, and Kahn had been out doing whatever tigers do on their own in the wild. All the two teens could do was wait for the storm to end.

Ranma was standing by a window holding out a bucket on a pole to collect rainwater they could drink. "Find anything useful?" He called out to Shampoo who was exploring the building.

The purple-haired girl came out from a hall. "Yes. This was store. Some food go bad but some in package might be good." She told him carrying a few things to eat, all sealed up in boxes and bags to extend the shelf life a bit. "Best of all Shampoo find these." She held up a pink box.

Ranma saw it and only recognized it thanks to having lived with three girls not too long ago, all of whom took some degree of interest in how his curse worked. "Tampons?"

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo never know when need some, and forgot grab some when left Nekohanten."

"Hey, it's been a month since then. Shouldn't you have... had your time by now already?" Ranma asked with much embarrassment. Just because he turned into a girl that didn't mean he was comfortable talking about the workings of a woman's insides. The only reason he asked was because he realized in the month he had been with Shampoo she gave no hint at having a period yet, which he knew was strange.

Shampoo shook her head. "No, Shampoo cycle is messed up. Cat curse change regularity."

"Huh?" Ranma was completely lost.

"Cat form still female, so still have cycle. But cat and human have different times, so Shampoo's human cycle affected by time in cat form. Shampoo only have one period since got curse." Shampoo explained.

"Ah, I think I understand." The pigtailed boy replied. "I never spent enough time in my female form to get one myself. I never thought about how a curse affects someone who already is a girl."

Contrary to popular belief, the Cat's Tongue didn't actually lock Ranma's form, it merely made him unable to tolerate one of the curse's triggers. Touching hot water still turned Ranma back to a boy, but the touch made him feel like a lobster being boiled for food so he had to seek immediate relief, which of course turned him back into a girl. He was never truly incapable of becoming male, he just couldn't do it painlessly. Therefore he still had never been female long enough to experience menstruation.

Ranma pulled in the bucket and poured the collected water into two bowls they had to drink out of. The two then rummaged thru their new cache of food to see what was still edible. Among the food Ranma found something he suspected Shampoo didn't want him to see right away, a box of condoms.

"Shampoo, why do you have these?" He asked, holding up the box.

Shampoo blushed and looked away. "Well... Airen, we _are_ alone together. Could come in handy."

Ranma didn't know how to react, and in his indecision Shampoo scooted to sit right next to him and took his hand in her own. "Airen, Shampoo make dreams clear to you, right? He nodded, she had definitely made her long-term dreams clear to him in their time together. "Shampoo try be patient, try give you time to make answer. But do you even _have_ answer? Do any part of you want Shampoo as man want woman? As man want wife?"

This was the one issue Ranma had been wanting to avoid more than any other in his time with Shampoo. He knew he couldn't delay it forever. He would have preferred waiting until maybe when the game was done and the pressure gone. But obviously he had to speak his mind now, and hope his foot stayed away from his mouth.

Shampoo broke away from him to try and cook some of their food over a lit fire since none of the electronics in the store were working. Ranma approached her from behind and held her in a gentle embrace, hoping this would placate her enough to not ask too much of him later. "Shampoo, I'm not in a hurry to get married just now. First off, look around us. You want to get married with all this going on?"

Shampoo leaned back but didn't look as comfortable as she felt. "No, suppose not."

"Why are you in a hurry to get married anyway?" Ranma asked. "It's not just your village law is it?"

The Chinese girl shook her head. "That part of it, because if it dragged out too too long Shampoo may lose claim to Airen. But main reason... Shampoo afraid to lose you."

"Lose me?" Ranma repeated, confused.

Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo not only girl after Airen's heart. And Shampoo had big disadvantage before. Afraid if no marry soon, no marry ever." She then looked into his eyes. "Even now, I afraid I lose you after game end, and you go back to Violent Girl."

Ranma lightly tightened his grip. "Shampoo, think about all we've been through. How can I forget all of this, all we've experienced? And most importantly, how can I just go back to Akane like nothing happened between us?"

"You always did before." She pointed out.

"Only because I felt I had to." He told her. "I thought I owed it to the Tendos to try and make things work. They took me in based on nothing more than something my father gave his word regarding. I had to do something to repay their kindness."

"And now?" Shampoo asked, wondering if he still felt that way.

Ranma sighed. 'I will not screw this up. I will not screw this up.' He repeated in his mind, desperate for this conversation to not take a wrong turn. "Now... how do I put it? Like I said before, I thought I owed the Tendos. But _why_ did I owe them something? I never bothered to ask that before. It just seemed implied, because my old man kept saying honor demanded it and that was enough for me. Sure, everyone was expecting me to make good on it right away, and that part I refused to agree to, but I never denied the obligation was there."

"Then your grandmother gets me to thinking, what was _my_ obligation? Pop promised Mr. Tendo something, but _I_ never did. Pop promised a lot, but never got me involved in it, other than expecting me to be the one to actually make it happen. He kept telling me honor demanded I do what he said, but is that honor? Is honor simply a matter of doing whatever you're told, whether you like it or not? Whether it makes sense or not?"

Shampoo shook her head. "That no honor, that slavery. No honor in being a slave."

"I think that's what the old ghoul was trying to tell me. I thought being honorable meant keeping your promises, but apparently I was letting others make those promises for me. I thought I was being honorable, but really I was just being taken advantage of."

Shampoo nodded. "Like with cat fear. People just take advantage of your other weakness."

Ranma smiled. "That's exactly what I thought when it hit me. What I thought was honor was really just another weakness of mine, a refusal to say no. And people were taking advantage of that too, just like I feared they could with my cat fear. I just didn't realize it because I didn't know there was a weakness involved. But now I know people were using my sense of honor to tell me what to do and not give me a choice in the matter, because if I refused then I'd be in the wrong in my own eyes."

Shampoo nodded, glad they agreed so well.

"Anyway, while we've been in this game I haven't really thought too much about what I'm going to do after it's over. I've been more concerned about looking for the game and surviving here until we do, but after it's over? I haven't wanted to think about that yet. What good would that do us right now?"

"We no be in game forever Airen."

"Yeah, but we are in it now. I want to save planning for after it's over till we at least get the game back. I got some ideas, but until then, I want to live in the present, not future." Ranma told her.

Shampoo shifted a bit in her seat. "Can we... be together in present then?"

"What do you mean? We already-" He was about to say 'are together' in reference to just shared company, but he could what she really meant when she planted her lips on his, kissing him without it being required by Amazonian rules for once.

She pulled away then placed a finger on his lips to keep him from ruining the moment. "You say live in present. No reason we just be company in present, right? Why not be boy and girl together?"

Normally Ranma would deny any desire to be in a relationship, for fear of it becoming too much too soon. But now, there were two major parts of his life removed. Meddling adults insisting he meet their expectations, and the voice in the back of his mind saying Akane came first in the fiancee line-up. So with Shampoo being the only girl he had any interaction with for the past month and Happosai having no reason for Ranma to marry one specific girl right away, Ranma was in a clearer state of mind than he had ever been before regarding the option of pursuing a relationship.

"Why not?" He agreed before kissing her for once to test how it felt. He found it quite enjoyable, and so did Shampoo. Enough that they didn't stop at kissing.

By some stroke of a miracle Ranma finally realized he had hormones after all and put them to good use that night, more than once.

-End Flashback-

Since then, Ranma wasn't quite sure what exactly he and Shampoo were, but he no longer denied there was something there. Given their surroundings and lifestyle, their relationship wasn't normal enough to be easily labeled, but fortunately Shampoo didn't seem to mind the lack of one.

Since that night, they two had been sort of coy with each other. Shampoo was quite happy, almost bubbly, and while Ranma had a hard time looking at Shampoo at first, whenever he did he did so with a smile. If Happosai knew what they did in his absence, he wisely chose not to bring it up; although that didn't prevent the few knowing smiles he sent their way.

The two had reached their current dwelling, a primitive lean-to created by them to house them for a few nights before moving to another part of the jungle. They usually stayed on the move so exploring soldiers couldn't track them in the off chance the army went inside the jungle. It had happened before, but that was getting less often now.

At the lean-to Happosai was waiting along with Kahn, sharing some meat of his own with the tiger. "Ah good, you're back. Cook and eat that fast, we've got somewhere to go in a hurry."

"Where?" The two teens asked.

"I think I know where the woman who took the game is." Happosai said with a grin.

"How?" The teens asked together again.

The short old man pulled out a bunch of rolled up papers. "I knew the army would keep track of the jungle's growth. They mapped it out, which of course needed to be changed every week with the jungle getting bigger. I used my great stealth skills to sneak in on a regular basis and print out some maps."

Ranma looked skeptical. "You can sneak in and out of an army building on a regular basis without getting caught, but you can't sneak up on a girl without it being obvious?"

"Trust me my boy, when I don't want to be seen, I'm not. Your father even toyed with the idea of creating his own version of my stealth tactics. The only reasons girls are aware I'm there to take their panties is because I let them know. Makes it a bit more fun for me that way."

Ranma and Shampoo were surprised, reminding themselves this old man was in fact a grand master of martial arts for a reason.

"Anyway, check out these maps. Notice anything unusual?" He said before handing them the maps in chronological order.

Ranma and Shampoo looked them over, seeing an ever expanding green blotch in central Japan. "No, not really."

"The jungle is growing in two main directions." Happosai pointed out. "We've stayed here mainly in the northern part, avoiding the cities but staying close. So the jungle should be growing mostly in that direction."

Looking back, they saw what he meant. "It true, the green spread more to north. South and east get little growth." Shampoo exclaimed.

"But what about to the west?" Ranma asked. "It's been expanding there too, and we're not there."

Happosai nodded. "Yeah, which can mean one of two things. Either the army is more successful in halting it to the south and east, or the game itself is in the west and the jungle is just as attracted to the game as it is to you two."

Ranma and Shampoo paused to consider it. "It's worth a look into, but where do we start looking?" Ranma asked.

"First we go west. Then I'll handle the rest. Finding women is my specialty." Happosai claimed.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Have you heard anything?" Akane asked when she entered her new home of two months.

Ever since the evacuation of Nerima, the Tendo's had to move into the home of Soun's parents, who lived over in Sendai, far from the reaches of the growing jungle. But they kept an ear out for news regarding the jungle, especially any news that could give them a clue regarding what Ranma was doing. Akane was the one most interested in this news.

"Sorry Akane, there's been nothing today." Kasumi said, reading a book. In this new house she often had little to do. She tried keeping house like before, but her grandparents insisted they do the majority of it since they knew what they liked done. Plus they wanted her to try spending some time out doing something too since she was young and should be enjoying life, at least in their words. As a result, Kasumi actually got bored most days now.

She wasn't the only one having a hard time adjusting. Nabiki had no grounds to try her trademark activities here and little chance to start them up. Given the fact that Sendai was less likely to be as lenient as Nerima had been, Nabiki had been careful not to draw any attention to herself, and now used nothing but her hidden supply of money, and quite sparingly at that to keep her family unaware. It wasn't something she enjoyed.

Akane was having the hardest time adjusting. She and Nabiki had transferred to a local school, and she had anticipated a possible repeat of the Hentai Horde, which didn't happen to her gratitude. She was approached by a few boys, but instead of erupting in anger, she surprised her family and herself by calmly turning down all offers. She said she just experienced a bad break-up and needed time to come to terms, which wasn't entirely untrue.

Akane sighed and put down her schoolbag. "It's been two months. Something has to have gone wrong. Ranma wouldn't let the jungle last this long otherwise."

Kasumi nodded. "It does seem likely. Almost a fifth of Tokyo is gone now. I remember hearing other countries talk about using weapons on it, but the government insists on doing this themselves."

"Yeah, I remember Nabiki crying because the economy took a hit thanks to so many businesses taking damage from this. Imagine, an environment-related recession. It's gotten bad enough that I think the jungle's location is the only reason the army doesn't just bomb the place and get it over with."

Kasumi nodded again. "Yeah, that would only make things worse. We just have to have hope that Ranma can solve the problem when he can."

"How? Something had to go wrong. It can't take this long to finish a board game." Akane insisted. "Is there any possible way to find out?"

Kasumi paused for a moment, not sure how to answer. "Unless you want to go find him, I don't see how. And no Akane, that wasn't a suggestion."

Too late, the idea had been planted in her mind. 'Go find him? Can I do that? _Should_ I do that?'

"Akane, this came for you in the mail." Soun said as he approached, holding a large box. Behind him stood Genma, still stuck in panda form and no amount of hot water would change him back. "From China."

"China?" Akane repeated. "Why does it have air holes?"

"Open up and find out." Soun told her.

Akane took the box and opened it. Inside she saw a white duck wearing glasses and a grey cat. Also in the box were folded sets of clothes and a wooden staff. The short-haired Tendo girl was reasonably surprised to see them. "Better get some warm water."

Some warm water and privacy later, and Mousse and Cologne were back to human form and dressed.

"So what brings you two here? And why did you come like that?" Akane asked.

"Well to answer the second question first, the two of us had to go back to China to get some information. Getting back was the hard part, given the government is likely carefully inspecting anyone of Chinese origin trying to get in now, so we shipped ourselves here. That's how Shampoo got here, we figured it would work for us." Cologne explained.

"So you gave yourself a curse just to travel?" Akane asked.

Cologne shook her head. "No, I just used an instant curse packet. They may not be permanent cures but they do have their uses. I figured a cat curse would be appropriate for myself."

"How did you know we were here?" Kasumi asked.

"We knew you'd be moved out of Nerima and did an online check for closest relatives. This place came up so we took a chance. Even if we were wrong, at least we were back in Japan."

"So what did you need to leave for?" Kasumi asked.

"And do you know if anything happened to Ranma?" Akane added.

"In regards to Son-in-law, the game was stolen shortly before the volcano erupted by someone but I'll explain about that later. He and Shampoo have been trying to get it back, and I can only conclude they haven't yet. As for why we left, we needed to get information regarding the game. It was not easy."

"Did you find out how to undo all of this?" Akane requested.

Cologne looked remorseful. "Sorry Akane, it turns out Happosai was quite correct in his claim. The only way to fix this mess is to finish the game, and the only ones who can do that are Shampoo and Son-in-law."

"Happosai?" Akane repeated.

Soun looked worried and all around him. "Don't say his name too many times. He'll show up."

Cologne withheld a sigh at the man's cowardice to his old teacher. "He's not going to show up. Happy's an old player, right now he should be assisting the current players in beating the game."

"Ranma has been with that old pervert for two months?" Akane asked. 'He's probably going crazy by now. Or worse, picking up more perverted habits.' She mentally gasped. 'And he's been with Shampoo all that time? Who knows what they've done by now. Neither one of them could keep their hands off each other before.'

"What did you learn?" Kasumi asked, hoping to get back to the main topic before Akane's imagination ran away with itself.

"Heian Conglin's origins are unknown, but it does have history in my village." Cologne started. "I went through the list of everyone ever connected to the game in the past, which ended when I was eighteen. After that the game just seemed to disappear. The last person to possess it was an Amazon named Perfume, who also disappeared when the game did. I can only conclude she left the village with the game, but I have no idea why."

"If she's had it since you were that young, why is she only using the game now?" Soun asked.

Cologne shrugged. "She's the only one who can answer. Personally I think she _has_ been using it all this time and the game's natural effects prevent people from knowing it ever happened. Given what happened to Happy when he played and what the Hibiki boy wanted to have happen, I believe she's done this before many times."

Akane recalled Ranma's accusation and Ryoga's admittance. "Ranma said that Ryoga planned on it being just them playing, then Ryoga would surrender to make the jungle disappear and it would make Ranma disappear too."

Cologne nodded. "The same thing happened to Happy and my sister, only they weren't trying to make that happen. I find it very believable that Perfume has made this happen many times between then and now. Who knows how many times the game has been used this way?"

"But why? What possible benefit can she get from this?" Kasumi asked.

"Who knows?" Mousse said, speaking for the first time. "Maybe she's just cruel and does this for fun. Or maybe somehow she gets something from the game when a person vanishes."

"Weird thing is, if I'm right, that means no one has ever actually won the game before." Cologne stated. "Which raises the question of what actually does happen if someone wins it. Happy said that the jungle goes away and neither player vanishes, but right now even that is questionable."

"Then Ranma could be in danger even if he does win?" Akane asked.

"It's possible. The only way to find out for sure is to find Perfume and get her to talk. I can only hope that Son-in-law and Shampoo can get to her on their own. But considering Perfume herself, nothing will be easy."

"Why?" All three present Tendo's asked.

"I knew a Perfume when I was younger. I haven't seen her in over eighty years so I didn't think of her right away in all this. We weren't exactly best friends when younger. In fact, you could probably say I was to her what Shampoo was to Akane." Cologne admitted.

Akane mildly frowned at the reference. "You mean you both liked one guy even though you had no business getting in her way?"

Cologne lightly frowned in return. "It's all a matter of perspective Akane, and everyone is entitled to have their own. To me it was Perfume who was getting in _my_ way. Anyway, we weren't fighting over a boy, we were competing for the right to be named successor to one of the elders at the time. She disappeared after I was declared the winner. I get the feeling she's been resentful ever since, and using this as an opportunity to get back at me more than anything."

"So she's putting all of Japan at risk and endangering Ranma and Shampoo all for some vicarious revenge against you?" Akane asked, sceptical that somebody would go so far for such trivial reasons.

"You'd be amazed how petty people can be Akane. When you're my age, you'll understand more."

"There's got to be more to it than just that." The youngest Tendo insisted.

"Maybe. We'll find out soon enough. Hopefully."

* * *

Away in the jungle that night Perfume was in her isolated hut, feeling unsatisfied.

"These current players are tougher than I anticipated. I thought one of them would die by now, but the board shows no such signs. Perhaps I just need to find them and persuade them to give up. They're bound to be tired of struggling by now, and willing to surrender."

She got up and stretched her limbs. "But before I do that, I better get a nice soak."

Perfume went outside to the hot spring she had her hut built near. In the water she saw a couple of monkeys enjoying the warm water as well. Nothing new to her.

"If I'm going to go find and possibly fight two teenagers, I might as well be in the right shape for it. And a proper Amazon prepares for battle rather than rushes into it." Perfume said to herself before pulling out the emerald pendant and placing in on herself like a necklace. "Fallen prey from decades past, rejuvenate me once again."

The pendant glowed, and Perfume was bathed in green light. Her silhouette showed her gaining height, and when it faded the old woman was replaced with a beautiful teenager. Her skin was still tanned but her hair was now ivy green instead of silver, and her purple outfit stretched to cover her new buxom figure.

She smiled as she disrobed and descended into the water, wearing just the pendant. "Ahh yes, this always feels better when I'm younger." She opened her eyes and looked at the monkeys. "Strange, if I didn't know any better I'd swear that particular monkey is ogling me." One of the monkeys was staring at her with wide eyes. She just shrugged. "Eh, it's probably just surprised to see a person change like that."

A growl could be heard and Perfume calmly turned to a bush to see a tiger casually walk out. The monkeys got frightened and left the water, but Perfume looked bored. "Go away tiger." She said with a wave of her hand. The tiger turned around and walked away like an obedient pet. Perfume relaxed again and enjoyed the warm water.

After a good amount of time she got out and got dressed again before going back inside her hut. But right then she sensed something was off. "Something's not right." She looked around and saw nothing moved or anything, but the feeling would not leave her. It was the sort of feeling you get when you suspect someone had been in your house when they weren't supposed to.

"Wait a minute." She said when an idea hit her. Hoping she was wrong, she went into her bedroom and saw she was right.

The game was gone.

* * *

"I can't believe how easy that was." Ranma said, running through the jungle with the game in hand.

"That part that surprise you? No surprise by woman get younger?" Shampoo asked.

"That surprise nearly made my eyes pop out of my skill, but I still thought we'd be caught for sure and have to fight her." He defended.

"Airen think she pretty?" Shampoo tested.

"Don't turn into a jealous girl Shampoo. Besides, she's an old lady." He assured her, making her chuckle. "Who's turn is it to roll the dice now?"

"Can't remember. Just roll and see."

Ranma came to a stop, as did Shampoo. "This should be far enough that she can't get to us right away." He put down the game and knelt down, pretty sure that after the roll he'd need to be back on his feet and fast. Shampoo did the same and opened the game.

Right then Happosai appeared riding Kahn, dressed in a monkey outfit. "Wasn't expecting that, but damn what a sight." He then dropped down and removed the costume, wearing his normal clothes underneath. "But that does raise a lot of questions about that woman."

"We've all got questions. For now let's try and get the game over with now that we have it back." Ranma said before he rolled the dice. Nothing happened. "I guess it's your turn Shampoo."

Shampoo took the dice and rolled. Her tiger figurine moved forward and a phrase appeared. "They need not light nor eyes to see, they'll find you wherever you may be. One single sound is all they need, upon you the swarm will try to feed."

"Well that one's pretty obvious." Happosai commented. "We better find some shelter for the night quickly. We're not going to like what's to come."

"Good luck. You were the one who found this place, which happens to be miles away from any sign of civilization." Ranma mildly complained.

"Better start running boy before they get to us." The old man said before getting back on Kahn and encouraging him to run off.

"What is coming?" Shampoo asked, folding the game and ready to follow.

Right then they heard a sort of screeching sound in the air accompanied by what sounded like every leaf in the jungle rustling.

"You'll find out soon enough." Happosai yelled as he and the tiger ran off into the jungle. Not really seeing a choice, Ranma and Shampoo followed.

Running through a jungle at night wasn't easy, especially when you had no flashlights or equipment. They tried not to use anything that used batteries, out of concern of not being able to get more later. They had to rely on moonlight and their own eyes adjusting to darkness to see anything.

Unfortunately what was after them now could see much better in the dark, and it was gaining on them fast.

The screeches got louder, and Ranma turned to see what was coming. That's when it hit them, it was a swarm of bats. Angry looking bats big enough to cover a person's face if they grabbed hold of it. And judging by their pursuit of the two teens, these bats didn't eat bugs or fruit.

Not knowing how to fight the bats off, Ranma and Shampoo kept running, hoping to find shelter before the bats caught up.

"There's a light up ahead. Let's hope the bats won't follow." Happosai shouted. Ranma and Shampoo followed, wondering why there was a light in the jungle.

The reason turned out to be a late night search party of soldiers, likely searching for them. The soldiers saw them too and got their guns ready right away as the fleeing group came to a stop. "Halt, what are you doing out here?" One of the soldiers asked, unnerved by the tiger accompanying them. He wasn't the only one.

"Run." Ranma simply warned.

It was too late, the swarm of bats appeared and tried to get them. The soldiers started shooting at the bats, and the bats turned on them too.

Happosai grabbed one of his few fireworks he had on him and lit it. "Happo Fire Burst." He threw it into the air and it went off, creating a lot of light. The bats shrieked in agony and flew off into the darkness.

The light faded and everyone was groaning from hurt eyes, among other hurt places. Ranma checked his body and felt a lot a blood. "Those bats have mean bites. They felt like flying piranhas." He looked to his fellow player. "You okay Shampoo?"

"Think so, only one or two bite."

"Lucky, I got at least four."

One of the soldiers was in even worse shape than either of them. He was screaming, and rightfully so. It looked like half the swarm had tried to eat him all at once. The rest of soldiers, with fewer to no bites, rushed to help him. Ranma, Shampoo, and Happosai took the opportunity to escape before the soldiers recognized them and took them into custody.

* * *

The next day Akane was watching TV while doing homework and saw a special report.

"New word has come from the anti-jungle division stationed west of Tokyo. A group of soldiers was attacked by a large group of bats that in their terms were trying to eat them alive. The group managed to fend them off but we have word that one of them is now in critical care in a hospital now and is being treated. Oddly enough, one of the soldiers said that two civilians had been in the same area that night but their current location cannot be confirmed. We can only hope they were not attacked by the bats or something even worse."

Akane dropped her pencil. "Two civilians were spotted in the jungle? That _has_ to be Ranma and Shampoo. It can't be anyone else."

Acting on impulse, Akane got up and went to Kasumi. "Have the Amazons left yet?"

"Yes, they left after lunch to the train station. Why?"

"I just wanted to ask them something before they left. Maybe I've still got time." Akane replied before rushing out the door.

* * *

"Yes, can we help you?" A nurse in a clinic located in Hamura, Japan, said to a new patient, who happened to be a dark-haired girl holding a cat.

"Hi, I'm Ran... ko, and I was bitten by an animal last night. My cat was too. We want to know if we might have rabies." The girl started.

"Oh my, when did this happen?"

"Last night."

The nurse groaned. "It's that damn jungle. The animals are starting to move into even our city. It won't be long before we're forced to evacuate too."

"Can you treat us? I'm not sure how I can pay for it, but-"

The nurse stood up. "Don't worry about the money. With the way things are going we're going to be out of business soon anyway, one free service isn't going to hurt us. Follow me."

The nurse led Ranko into a private room. "It's a good thing you showed up now. Rabies is much easier to treat within the first twenty-four hours. After that but within six days the treatment can still work but you need more of it to get the same result. And if you waited until symptoms appeared, it might have been too late to do anything effective."

"So what do you do?" Ranko asked.

"Let me take a sample of your blood. The cat too. We don't treat animals here but I suppose it's worth a try."

Some blood samples were collected and the nurse went away a bit to diagnosis them. Ranko and her pet waiting nervously, hoping this was a false alarm.

The nurse came back. "The tests say you two might in fact be infected. So you'll both need the shot. If you're one of the lucky ones one shot will be all you need. Still, I recommend coming back in a week for further diagnosis just to be sure. Especially regarding your pet. Since we're designed for humans there's a greater margin of error for animals here."

"We'll do what we can." Ranko said.

The nurse gave the girl and the cat a vaccine and then sent them on their way.

* * *

"It looks like the players played a trick on me." Perfume rued, back in her old body. "No matter, the trials of the game to come will accomplish what the trials they've experienced have not. And even if they survive, it's only a matter of time before I find them and get the true prize of my game."

* * *

Akane was rushing through the train station, trying to find Cologne and Mousse. 'Please don't let them be on a train already.' She silently pleaded.

Seeing an information desk, she approached it. "Excuse me, do any trains go to western Tokyo anymore?"

The attendant scoffed. "You mean the overgrown area? Who'd want to go there?"

"I think someone is trying to go there. If they wanted to, how would they get there?" Akane added.

The attendant thought it over. "I suppose they could go to the eastern part and go from there. Or they could take one of the routes going north of Tokyo then loop around. Take it from me girl, if someone is going there, you're better off leaving them alone. Let them make their own mistake."

"Fine. Thanks for your help." Akane said politely then walked away. At first she started off to go back to her grandparent's home, but she stopped after a few steps. 'I need to do this.'

With that she went to a ticket terminal and bought a ticket with what little money she had on her.

'Something went wrong, I just know it. I have to do something. Ranma, I'm coming.'


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Okay, now that you've gotten your shots we can get this game back on track and hopefully finish it shortly." Happosai said when Ranma and Shampoo returned in their cursed forms. He had some boiled water ready for them, cooled enough to still do the job but not scald them in the process.

"Was that trip really necessary?" Ranma asked as she sat down and let Shampoo go, though the cat didn't want to leave her arms.

"Yes, I told you it was. Remember Soap nearly died because of a mosquito bite. I wasn't about to let you two die from bites that risk infection." Happosai insisted before leaving the group, knowing Shampoo got angry when he saw her nude. That was something she reserved for Ranma.

Ranma took the water and first poured it over herself, turning back into a boy. Shampoo moved and got some of the spillover allowing her to become human too, naked and in Ranma's lap. And by design she was facing him with her breasts pressing into his chest.

"Nihao." She said teasingly, putting her arms around his shoulders then kissing him.

Thanks to two months of having to bathe together and one month of sleeping together, Ranma was no longer a shy wreck around her naked form. "Better put your clothes back on. We still don't know how he's handling his addiction without using us, and I don't want him tempted to grope you."

Shampoo smiled. "True, Shampoo body for you and only you. And your body for me and only me." She then went to get her clothes which had been set aside before they left to the clinic. "Shampoo panties are gone." She said, noting something missing.

"Happosai." Ranma groaned.

"Yeah?" He asked as he returned, seeing Shampoo holding a cheongsam but not wearing it. "Alright, you've decided to thank your elder properly for all his help." He said enthusiastically before jumping at her, only to be batted away by her left arm. He still got a good glimpse at her though.

"Give Shampoo panties back."

"Fine." The old man said, holding out the swiped undergarments. Shampoo took them and went behind a tree to get dressed. Ranma sat down beside their sleeping tiger companion. "Rob an old man of his fun."

"Get your fun somewhere else you pervert." Ranma criticized.

"You're one to talk Ranma my boy. You've been having fun with Shampoo for a month now. Don't make yourself a hypocrite."

Ranma frowned and Shampoo came out and sat down behind him. "Ready?"

Ranma nodded. "Where's the game?"

"Right here." Happosai said, taking it out of a pack and bringing it to them. How he could do that despite his size in proportion to the game itself was beyond them.

Ranma took it and opened it. "It's my turn right?" Shampoo nodded, and he rolled the dice, getting another challenge.

"A treasure trove or stoney grave, find out for sure if you are brave. To enter or not you may decide, if you want to gain what lays inside."

"Oh I remember this one." Happosai recollected. "This is a strange one."

A rumbling sound was heard off to the side and everyone turned towards it. Kahn even woke up for it. Ranma and Shampoo got to their feet but Happosai just sat down like he was watching a show.

"Calm down you two, nothing's going to attack us this time." He said, doing little to placate their tension.

Some trees disappeared, and from the ground rose something made of stone. The stone took on a more clear shape the higher it rose, and it became apparent that somehow a building was growing out of the ground. An ancient-looking Chinese stone temple the size of a baseball stadium to be precise.

"See? I told you nothing was going to attack us." Happosai commented.

"A building? What's so special about this?" Ranma asked, not expecting something so... harmless. Kahn was equally unimpressed and went back to sleep.

"This was the last challenge Soap and I faced in our game, and the one that nearly killed her." Happosai said, getting both teen's attention. "The previous dice roll gave us a forest fire, and so we rolled again hoping to get out of it and we got this. We went inside to escape, but this temple... it's a bit of a blessing and a curse."

"Meaning?" Shampoo asked.

"Let me explain it this way, are you two familiar with the concept of a mini-game?"

They both nodded. "Yeah, you see it in video games all the time." Ranma replied.

"That's what this temple is, a game within the game." Happosai told them. "You can go inside the temple and deal with a new set of challenges, and get a prize inside that will help you beat the main game. Or you can choose to ignore it and deal with the rest of the game on your own."

"What's the prize?" Ranma asked.

Happosai closed his eyes and tilted his head to the right then the left. "I... I can't remember. I barely had it long enough to use it. You see, Soap got bitten by mosquitos here and was about to die, and we were a lot of rolls of the dice away from ending the game. I chose to quit the game to save her, but that didn't work out."

"You remember the temple but not the prize?" Ranma asked.

"Some memories are just more significant than others." The old man pointed out. "The important thing is you two can ignore this temple and just keep rolling the dice, or go in and find what's in it, but risk even more things appearing. Keep in mind this is like the storm, more than one creature or disaster will be in there. Think it over you two."

Ranma and Shampoo looked at each other, trying to decide if this mini-game was worth experiencing. "What you think Airen?" Shampoo asked.

"It sounds dangerous, and a bit unnecessary." He started. "But on the other hand if we do this right the rest of the game should be easier to handle, right?"

Shampoo nodded. "Sounds right. Should we try?"

Ranma glanced at the game then at the temple, then at Shampoo. "As much as I want to get this game over with, I'm curious about this prize in the temple. What do you think?"

"With you at my side, Shampoo no afraid." She said.

"Be careful kids. Remember this nearly killed Soap. Anything can be inside this temple, _anything_." Happosai warned.

"We'll be fine." Ranma said before he and Shampoo grabbed two backpacks filled with supplies and went to the entrance, taking the game with them in Shampoo's backpack.

Happosai stayed behind watching them depart. "Good luck kids. Good luck." He said mostly to himself. He noticed a few rabbits move in the bushes. "Might as well get some meat before they get back."

The sleeping tiger must have caught the scent of the rabbits, for he started to wake up and growl. The rabbits panicked and fled, making Happosai moan.

* * *

The entrance to the temple was without a door, mostly a hole with carvings of a dragon arching over the hole in great stone slabs. In front of the entrance there was a lone staircase with statues of lion-dogs on both sides. Vines and ivy covered the place, making it appear older than it actually was.

"Hey Shampoo, what's that say?" Ranma asked, pointing at some Chinese characters carved above the dragon.

"Heart of the Dark Jungle, ... 'something' of the Trapped Warrior." Shampoo translated. Vines were covering one of the kanji so Shampoo couldn't make out the full message.

"Well, might as well go in and see what the fuss is about." Ranma said before taking her hand and going inside. Sunlight from outside allowed them to see down the hall, but only so far. "Maybe we should get some torches first."

"No need." Shampoo said before reaching into the backpack and pulling out a flashlight, something they used rather sparingly since their self-exile into the jungle. Batteries didn't grow on trees after all.

The two walked down cautious for any traps or threats. So far there were none, but they refused to drop their guard. After about twenty steps the hall ended and forked to the left and right.

"Which way we go?" Shampoo asked, shining the light down both directions one by one.

"It doesn't look like there's any traps down either. But I don't like the idea of splitting up and going off separately." Ranma said, earning an agreement from the Chinese girl. "Let's just pick a direction and try it out. This way seems like the natural direction to pick." He suggested, pointing to the right.

The two went down the right end, and after two steps the walls started to glow. One of the walls started to glow in a most familiar way. They quickly recognized it as the same as when a phrase appeared on the game. Words were appearing on the wall in exactly the same way.

"Sharpened front and barbed back, fiendish things with a duel attack. Far from being the most loved creature, they'll sting simply because it is their nature." Shampoo read before the phrase faded.

A weird noise was heard down the dark hall and she aimed her flashlight down it to see what the source was. The light settled on a scorpion the size of a chihuahua, and it wasn't alone.

Shampoo nearly dropped her flashlight from the shock, but she managed to regain her grip before it left her hand. "Other way Airen. Other way." She said, pulling him to the left hall.

After walking down it, the same glow appeared on the wall and a new phrase appeared. But Shampoo ran past it before she noticed, and by the time she stopped and turned it was fading away. All she caught was the character for 'stone'.

"What did it say?" Ranma asked.

"Not know, Shampoo miss it."

"Great, it's like the stampede all over again."The pigtailed boy complained, hearing the scorpions scurry closer. "Scorpions or whatever is down the other hall, what a choice."

Listening carefully, they heard another thing approaching. This mystery threat sounded a lot heavier than scorpions, producing heavy thud sounds periodically, like someone wearing lead boots was stomping down the hall. And unless they were mistaken, there was more than one coming their way.

"I'll take my chances with the other thing." Ranma said before heading down the dark hall, forcing Shampoo to follow him. She kept her flashlight held to ensure they saw the way ahead of them both.

The light soon revealed what was coming their way, a pair of armored Chinese warriors carrying spears, marching in formation. "There are people here?" Ranma asked when he saw them.

"No, they part of game." Shampoo warned as they came to a stop.

"Wait, something's not right." Ranma noted. The warriors got closer and their features got easier to see. "They're not people. They're statues. Moving statues."

'Now stone word make more sense.' Shampoo thought. "Airen, take light." She tossed him the flashlight. He caught it and kept it aimed at the statues while Shampoo darted forward.

"Shampoo wai-"

"Bakusai Tenketsu!" She shouted, hitting one of the statues in the chest shattering it to pieces. The second one tried to intercept her, but she was faster. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" She repeated the move and shattered it again.

"Right, I forgot you used to break down walls on a regular basis." Ranma said. "And the scorpions are still following us."

The two continued down the hallway until they reached another dead end with two halls going left and right.

"I'm starting to think the whole temple is like this, and every turn we take gives us something new to face." Ranma commented.

Shampoo nodded. "This way should go to temple center." She pointed to the right. "Maybe prize there, or on other side."

Seeing no reason to argue, Ranma nodded and the two went down the right hall. As expected, another phrase appeared on the wall and this time they waited to see what it said.

"It creeps and rolls across the ground, makes no sight makes no sound. All it takes is a single breath, and you'll soon wish it instead brought death."

Both teens froze up. "Oh crap, next thing doesn't kill us but makes us wish it did." Ranma muttered.

Nervous but relying on her training and experience, Shampoo kept the flashlight forward, ready to face whatever would come. She saw nothing but got an idea. "Airen, cover mouth and nose. Rhyme say breathing do something."

Both put their hands over their faces and held their breaths as they continued forward, moving carefully. Shampoo's light showed nothing physical, but they could see the air began to get noticeably greener and harder to see through.

"It's fog." Ranma said, recognizing the new feature. "What's so bad about-?" He stopped, his eyes widening like he had just seen a ghost. "No!" He said rather loudly as he clenched his eyes and put his hands on his head as if to block out a loud sound.

"Airen!" Shampoo said in alert and tried to shake him a bit. She then reacted the same way, eyes widening for a moment before she fell to her knees trying to block out something unpleasant. "Aiyah!"

Flashlight dropped, the light shone on the two teens appearing in agony surrounded by green fog in a stone hallway. One could only guess what they were experiencing right then.

* * *

"I hope they're doing alright." Happosai said while cooking a wild sheep he caught outside the temple. Kahn was busy eating one of his own, raw of course.

Neither one of them noticed some scorpions leave the temple entrance and go out into the jungle.

* * *

Ranma couldn't see anything. The fog had gotten so thick it was like nothing existed except for it and himself.

"Shampoo?" He called out. Hearing no response, he tried to reach out into the fog for her. When he didn't feel her he got worried. 'She was right there a second ago. Where could she have gone?'

Something reached out for him and broke through the fog. Ranma gasped to see a gigantic panda paw reach out and grab him. The paw was so big he was practically a sushi roll compared to it. The paw gripped him tightly and held him up.

"Let me go!" Ranma struggled to get free but the paw refused to relinquish him.

A click sound was heard underneath and the paw released him, making him fall. Ranma could see a square hole where he had been before and a square wooden lid moved to the side. In the hole there was just darkness, but numerous cat eyes. Ranma tried to stop himself from falling but he couldn't, and he landed in some water, which triggered his curse.

Right away countless claws came at her and began to slash and tear at her. It was exactly like experiencing Neko-ken training all over again, except this time Ranma was in water and there were voices accompanying the cats.

"Freak!"

"Pervert!"

"Do what I say!"

"Jerk!"

"Prepare to die!"

"Honorless!"

The voices were numerous but every one of them was familiar. Ranging from Akane to Ryoga to Genma to even Nabiki, Ranma heard all of his various tormentors tear at her with words like the cats tore at her with claws. Ranma tried batting away the claws and ignoring the insults, but that only made both worse.

After countless scratches, something inside Ranma snapped and she felt like she was on fire. "ENOUGH!" A ki aura erupted around her, keeping the claws away and silencing the voices. It even evaporated the water and made Ranma return to male form. "I'm not afraid of any of you! Not the cats, and certainly not you people! You want to beat me? Control me? Define me? No more! No more letting others tell me what I am or should be! I am my own man, and if you don't like it, go to hell!"

Everything around Ranma went completely dark, then he felt something solid underneath him. Ranma opened his eyes, wondering when were his eyes closed to begin with. Looking around he saw the green fog and Shampoo looking like she was in pain.

'The fog. It made me see that. It wasn't real. And now Shampoo must be seeing something similar.' Ranma thought. Right away he scooped her up in his arms and dashed down the hall, trying his best to avoid breathing in more fog and experiencing a repeat occurrence.

At the end of the hall there were some stairs leading up to a second floor, and Ranma took them. Fortunately this seemed to be where the fog stopped, and there was no Chinese writing appearing magically on the walls again. In his rush he had forgotten the flashlight, but there were lit torches on the walls so it wasn't necessary anymore.

"Shampoo?" Ranma asked the pained girl in his arms. He was afraid to set her down. "Shampoo, it's okay. Fight the fog. You're stronger than this."

Shampoo slowly opened her eyes. "Airen?" She asked quietly.

"It's okay Shampoo, we're out of the fog." He said, finding himself holding her closer to him in an effort to calm her, or perhaps himself more. "What did you see?"

"Shampoo saw Airen marry Violent Girl with her pregnant, and tell Shampoo I just bad memory while Mousse try drag me away." She said before briefly pausing. "But Shampoo escape and go to Airen and kiss. Shampoo love you Airen, please no throw away."

As expected Ranma didn't have an immediate response. 'My nightmare was a bit more physical than hers, but I don't think her worst fear involves physical pain.' He thought, remembering something Cologne told him when the purple-haired girl had been in the hospital for a snake bite. Her worst fear, even more than frogs, was that he would never love her back.

While Ranma couldn't say he did love her back, or at least he didn't feel certain enough to attempt to say it, he knew he had to give her some reassurance. "After all we've been through Shampoo, I could never tell you to just get lost."

Feeling better, Shampoo was quite content to just relax in her beloved's strong arms. But unfortunately they still had more to do. So with reluctance she broke away. "Keep going?"

"After all this, we better. But this prize better be worth it."

Shampoo nodded and took a torch out of its hanger. Ranma did the same and they continued down the hall, which turned right without a fork. Not for a while at least, but they came up to one that went either left or forward.

"I think left will take us in deeper." Ranma offered.

"Left then." Shampoo agreed, and led them that way, ready to translate the next passage that showed up on the wall. "Stomp stamp upon the ground, a million heads to look around. One to find and one to follow, all the rest to leave you hollow."

"I'm starting to think we should have passed on this temple." Ranma commented while they walked cautiously down the hall, looking for anything.

"Shampoo no hear anything, do you?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, but it looks like something's moving on the walls."

Moving their torches to get a better view, they both saw something on the walls that was moving, rather than the walls themselves moving. Something small, but there was a lot of it, moving down like water dripping down the walls.

"It ants." Shampoo realized. "Hundreds, even thousands of ants."

"That can't be good." Ranma said, remembering something he saw on TV once about times when big insects and small animals were engulfed in ants and eaten alive bit by bit, unable to fight them off. 'Clearly these kind can do the same for us, if this is anything like the rest of the game.'

"Stay away from the wall." Ranma warned, and Shampoo nodded, and the two tried to walk faster. In their hurry they failed to notice some light crunching sounds at first. Ranma looked down and gasped. There were ants on the floor, and on his feet. He could already feel them biting his ankles.

Reacting on impulse Ranma knelt down and tried to swipe them off his feet. The act got some off but spread some as well, onto his ankles. 'Oh crap some are getting under my socks and shoes.' He tried scratching but he couldn't reach them.

Using her torch Shampoo managed to drive any ants away from her and more from Ranma. "Airen?" She asked, seeing him take his shoes off.

"I can't get them off." He complained, taking the socks off. Shampoo could see a lot of ants on his skin and a lot of red marks too. And it looked like some were on his hands too biting him there too.

"Airen, bite something." Shampoo ordered.

"What for?" He asked.

"Just bite. It for best."

Not wanting to argue, Ranma took his torch and bit down on the handle, keeping the flame away from his head.

"Shampoo sorry." The Chinese girl said before putting her torch right against the skin of his foot for a brief moment. Ranma yelled in pain from the heat and burn, but he kept the handle in his mouth. It only lasted a second, and Shampoo repeated the method on his other foot. After that she grabbed his hands and did the same thing to both at once. Ranma's cries of pain hurt to hear, knowing she was the cause of them.

"It over now." She told him, then looked down and saw ants starting to crawl up her own legs. "Airen help Shampoo?" She asked while taking his torch out of his mouth, the handle cracked from his teeth.

"Let's get out of here first." He said, trying to ignore the burns. Standing was painful but fortunately the soles of his feet weren't damaged so he could keep it up.

Both ran down the hall, doing their best to avoid having more ants get on them. Some dropped from the ceiling but not a lot.

The hallway came to an end, blocked off by a stone door with an engraving of the Chinese kanji for 2.

"What's this? Are we trapped?" Ranma asked, more than a bit bothered.

Ignoring the ants on her, Shampoo readied herself for an attack. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" She struck the door, but to her surprise not even a crack formed. "How we get past?"

Ranma turned around and saw the ant swarm still come at them. "If we stay here too long we'll become ant food. There's got to be something we can do. C'mon stupid game, what do you want from us?" He then got an idea. "Wait, Shampoo pull out the game."

"Why?"

"What if we roll the dice until we get a two? It's worth a shot."

Shampoo nodded and pulled out the game before handing it to him. "You roll. This part of your turn, and if Shampoo roll new threat show up." Not letting him argue she shoved it in his hands while trying to get the ants off herself, even burning herself when she had to.

In a hurry Ranma opened the game and grabbed the dice. He rolled and got a nine, then grabbed and rolled a four. Then a seven. "C'mon, give me a two dammit." He complained, briefly pausing to scratch at some ants on him. It felt like the swarm was closing in on them more. He rolled again and got a ten, then rolled again and got another seven. Frustrated, he brought the dice up to his face. "I am not dying here, you got that? Now give me a two!"

He rolled again and got a six, making him groan angrily. Refusing to give up, he rolled yet again and this time got a two. "Thank you!" He turned to the door, expecting it to be opening. Only it wasn't. "Dammit!" He yelled before hitting the stone in frustration. Then all of a sudden the door began to open, moving like it was being pulled to the side.

"Let's go!" He yelled, grabbing Shampoo and pulling her in, both dropping their torches in the meanwhile.

The room they entered was circular with the stone walls painted, unlike the rest of the temple. In the center there was a raised platform, something like looked like a stone altar or table. Four round pillars were around it, and a soft glow came from above, like an unseen chandelier was there.

The ants on their bodies dropped off and scurried away, acting like they didn't like being in this room. Not that Ranma or Shampoo wanted them to stay or anything.

"Is this temple center?" Shampoo asked, scratching some itching bites.

"I think so." Ranma said, stepping up to the altar with the Amazon following. They got under the light and felt strangely refreshed. Ranma looked at his hands and saw the burns healing right before his eyes, along with the bites. "Alright, finally some good luck in this game."

Words appeared on the platform and Shampoo was quick to read them. "The life of one the jungle did claim shall now aide you in your game. Listen well to what they say, or you may take their place someday."

The light above got brighter and the two looked up. The light did not hurt their eyes. A nondescript shape appeared and lowered, and as it did it began to take on a more human appearance. Arms formed, hair flowed, and a face developed on what apparently was a young woman made of blue light. She looked roughly their own age as more details came into view, most noticeable being her own cheongsam dress.

The woman smiled at them both and sat down on the altar. "Hello, I am Soap. I am here to help you defeat Heian Conglin once and for all."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Soap?" Ranma and Shampoo repeated.

The newcomer nodded. "Yes, does my name surprise you?"

"You're Soap? As in Cologne's sister and Happosai's girlfriend Soap?" Ranma clarified, using both their names to ensure she knew who he was referencing.

"Yes. You know Happy and Coco?"

"Coco?" Both teens repeated, confused.

"That was my nickname for my sister." She replied in a melancholic tone.

"I'm Cologne's great-granddaughter. My name is Shampoo." Shampoo admitted. "This is my betrothed by Kiss of Marriage, Ranma."

Ranma turned to her. "Hey Shampoo, you're speaking perfect Japanese."

She faced him. "No Airen, you're speaking Chinese."

"Let me explain." Soap cut in quickly. "In case this needs clarifying, while we're here there are no language barriers. No matter what language any of us speak, we hear what we best understand. For all you know I could actually be speaking Italian. I'm not by the way, but the point remains."

"Is this what the prize was? Talking to another previous player?" Ranma asked, feeling rather let down. 'I guess I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it surely wasn't this.'

"My boy, my advice is very invaluable." Soap said sagely.

"We've already got Happosai helping us and giving us advice. What can you do that he hasn't?" Ranma asked.

"Happy's here?" Soap asked with some excitement.

"He's outside. We should let you know, it's been at least eighty years since you and he played this game. And he's been mourning you ever since." Shampoo told her distant relative.

"And he probably looks very different than how you remember him." Ranma added in.

"I can't leave this room, so please tell him I don't blame him for what happened. The spirit we talked to when we were players wasn't exactly clear about the escape clause this game comes with."

Ranma nodded. "He's been very clear on that part from day one."

"What can you offer us, Great-grandaunt?" Shampoo asked.

Soap smiled fondly at the title. "Great-grandaunt? Well, if you're Coco's heir, then that does make you my great-grandniece. Anyway, I assume by now you have a general idea of how Heian Conglin works right?" Both teens nodded. "Are you two determined to actually win the game rather than surrender?" They nodded. "Are you two aware that no one has ever won the game before?"

Both their eyes widened. "Wait, no one has won the game before? Like, not one?"

Soap sadly nodded. "No one. The game has been around for over three hundred years, played around once a decade, and in all that time no one has made it to the end."

"Then how does anyone know what happens when it does finally end?" Ranma asked.

"The game itself tells you that when you play it. Besides, you're not the first players to have a former player try to assist them. The only problem is no one has made it to the end before." Soap explained.

"How can that be?" Shampoo asked. "How, in three hundred years, can no one win one game?"

"For one thing, Heian Conglin is no ordinary game. And I mean besides the obvious. There's a threat here you're unaware of. One that's been haunting you from the very beginning. That threat... is the source of Heian Conglin's power."

"The source of its power?" The two teens repeated simultaneously.

Soap nodded. "Yes, the source. The entity that makes all the challenges appear. The being that gives the jungle its power, and in turn is empowered by those that fall to it. The source gets more powerful with each play, but it does have a weakness. If someone were to win the game the proper way, Heian Conglin will lose its power and be nothing more than carved wood and dice. In essence, winning the game kills the game. But of course, the source doesn't want that to happen. So it interferes in a way."

"You mean the game itself cheats?" Ranma asked.

Soap shook her head. "No, a game by its very nature can't cheat. Games are not meant to be unwinnable. But they are meant to be challenging. The spirit watches you to see what you can handle, and gives you more than you can handle. Probably to ensure you're always challenged, but also to keep you from winning."

"So the longer we play, the harder the game gets and all because some spirit refuses to see us win?" Shampoo asked.

Soap nodded. "Yes, Heian Conglin is far more than just a game, it's a terribly sore loser."

"Let me guess, sore enough that every time it looks like the players are actually going to win this source tries to kill them with some impossible challenge that makes them surrender or die." Ranma inquired in a deadpan tone, already anticipating the answer.

Soap nodded. "Yes, players have come close, but Heian Conglin refuses, utterly refuses, to let someone win and rob it of its power. The more desperate the spirit is to win, the more ruthless it gets. Players have died because of this game, losing their lives to it like I did and become trapped here forever, waiting for the day someone can finally end the game once and for all."

Ranma clench his fist. "We will win. I don't accept defeat when it's this important to win."

Soap smiled, but it wasn't reassuring. "Many players have said the same thing, and yet Heian Conglin still has its power. Boy, if you and this girl really want to be the ones to win this game, you're going to need more than just a refusal to lose."

"Then help us. Give us something that gives us a fighting chance." Shampoo pleaded.

Soap nodded. "Very well, I will do what I can to help you get to the end of the game." She then clasped her hands together and above her two balls of blue light shined. Each ball drifted and then hovered before Ranma and Shampoo before fading, revealing something solid in its place but still hovering in the air. In front of Ranma there was an ivory scepter in the shape of a snake, with an ebony streak running down the back. The whole thing was as long as his forearm. In front of Shampoo there was a spear, the staff colored a rich mahogany and a crimson tuft of fur around the base of the silver spearhead.

"What's this?" Ranma asked, disappointed. "Why didn't I get a weapon?"

"I can see in your ki aura Ranma that you are a strong warrior, but you fight best without a weapon rather than with. While a weapon has helped you in the past, you put more faith in yourself than in any sword. But that also comes with a price, an overabundance in ability to fight and a lack of ability to support. With this scepter, you will be as strong a fighter as ever, but now you will be able to support your partner when she needs it for reasons other than combat."

"What is it?" Shampoo asked.

"The scepter I grant Ranma is a tool for healing, not for combat. With it Ranma can heal any injury, cure any ailment, and detoxify any venom. But be warned, it has a very limited amount of uses. This is intended to be a last resort, not a first. Use it wisely." Soap explained.

"This is for healing? Just healing?" Ranma asked, more disappointed.

"The mere fact you lament this wonderful instrument only proves you need it more than you think." Soap commented.

"I'm not ungrateful, I just don't understand why. This isn't really my style." Ranma clarified.

"And that is why you need it more." Soap said. "You will understand in time, though I hope nothing drastic will be needed to make you see the reasoning behind this gift."

Seeing he was stuck with the scepter and had no chance to bargain for something more fitting, Ranma begrudgingly put it in his pocket.

Soap then looked at her great-grandniece. "Shampoo, I can see in your ki aura that you are good with weapons, but unfortunately you are in a vulnerable state right now and require extra protection. For that, you are given this spear, which can accomplish more than your ordinary weapons can. Learn to use it with care, as not to endanger yourself."

Shampoo nodded. "What is it meant to accomplish?"

"With this spear, you can negate one of the challenges of the game. Put your ki into it, strike, and whatever the game made last appear will go away. But I must warn you this can only happen once, and once done the spear will disappear. Like Ranma, you must use it carefully. Fortunately, until then you can use it like a regular spear."

"So just once I can make one of the threats disappear?" Shampoo clarified, and Soap nodded. "What did you mean by me being vulnerable?"

"Yeah, Shampoo's not weak. She's the strongest girl I know, other than my cursed form or your sister." Ranma added.

Shampoo smiled brightly at the praise. Since he was such a proud martial artist, he didn't exactly call just anyone strong. Sure, he'd admit others were challenges, but he used the term in much the same manner she'd call someone an obstacle. Both were ways for themselves to acknowledge strength in another while telling themselves they were still stronger. For Ranma to speak about her as he did basically told Shampoo he considered her an equal, not merely someone to one-up.

"I didn't say she was weak, I said she's vulnerable. There's a difference." Soap claimed.

"In what way am I vulnerable? So I know what to prepare for." Shampoo inquired. Soap smiled and patted her stomach, making Shampoo's eyes nearly pop out and put her hand over her own stomach. "You mean...?" Soap nodded. Shampoo put her free hand over her mouth.

"What am I missing here?" Ranma asked, not getting the subtle message.

Shampoo looked at the pigtailed boy, lowering her hand to reveal a warm smile. "Airen, she's saying... I'm pregnant."

Little could have surprised Ranma more at that moment than those two words. "H-How can that be true? I mean, we had condoms."

"I can see it in her ki, she is definitely with child." Soap stated.

Shampoo looked over at her love wistfully. "Condoms can fail Airen. It says so on the box. Chances are small, but they _do_ happen." She then came up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "This is a good thing though. I always did want to have your baby. Now I have it."

"Only for now." Soap interfered, getting their attention. "Tell me, was this child conceived after you started playing the game?" Shampoo slowly nodded, starting to grasp the message.

Ranma just then got it too. "Wait, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Soap nodded, though she didn't look happy anymore. "Yes, when you manage to end the game, no matter how you do so, the child will no longer exist. You will go back to before it was conceived, and it will be as if it never existed."

The two were as frozen as statues; hearing the words on their minds had been one thing, but somehow hearing it vocalized had made it more real for them. There was no denial, no misunderstanding, no chance or hope for an alternative. There was just the harsh truth, and boy was it harsh.

Shampoo suddenly gripped Ranma tightly and started to shed tears. After a moment, the tears got bigger until she resorted to sobbing in his chest, pouring her grief out against him. Ranma found himself holding her tightly in a feeble attempt at comforting her.

"I'm truly sorry, but there's no way to change that. The only way to keep your child is to never end the game, and that's not exactly the kind of home you want to bring a child into." Soap said, hoping to console them.

"We... We have to end the game, but we'll l-lose our baby." Shampoo wept.

Ranma didn't know how he felt about having a baby to begin with, but hearing that did nothing to make him feel better.

"At least if you two end the game properly you'll have a chance to have it again after the game ends." Soap offered in hopes it would calm her distant relative down.

Shampoo nodded slowly but said nothing.

"Is there anything else we should know?" Ranma asked.

"You both know everything there is to know about the game itself. All I can say is use your tools wisely, watch over each other, fight the temptation to surrender, and if possible work on using your ki for battle. You both are skilled enough to use it in some ways. I recommend expanding upon that. Other than that, all I can say is best of luck and please give my regards to Happy and Coco"

"We will. Thank you for your help. We will win." Ranma said.

Soap smiled and bowed. "I can only hope so, for my sake and for everyone else trapped in this jungle." She then faded away slowly, and the room was as it was before she appeared. But suddenly a panel of the wall began to open, as if to say this was the way out.

"Shampoo, you ready to go?" Ranma asked, lightly shaking the still saddened girl in his arms.

She looked up at him, tears staining her face. She said something in Chinese, making him confused. Seeing his expression, she sighed. "Language magic gone now. Shampoo and Airen back to normal." She said in her limited Japanese.

"We can still talk as before." Ranma said.

Shampoo shook her head. "No Airen, it never be like before." She took his hand and placed it over her womb. "Things change. Even if game undo, we know. We no can pretend jungle not happen, that _this_ no happen. Airen, when game over, what will we be? Shampoo no can go back to being girl waiting for love. Need answer now."

'She's right. What am I going to do when this is over? Make her go back to being a waitress waiting for me to choose between three girls? Two of which I haven't seen in two months while she's fought by my side that entire time? Yeah right, she deserves better than that. I don't know how I'm going to get everyone else to deal with it, but right now I don't care.'

Ranma wiped some tears off her cheeks. "Shampoo, you deserve an answer, and here it is." Her eyes lit up with interest before widening in surprise as he moved forward, sealing their lips in a sealing kiss. When they separated Ranma looked at her caringly but with a burning determination in his eyes.

"I don't know when I want to get married and I don't know when I want to have kids. But I do know that right now if I did want that you'd be the one I want it with."

"So... you do want be with Shampoo? Just not yet as man and wife or father and mother?" She asked, panting slightly.

Ranma nodded. "Yes Shampoo. Think about it. We'll remember all this, but no one else will. That means when we're out of here, everything goes back to how it was before. Mousse will still go after you, Akane will still expect me to be something I'm not, and Ryoga will still be obsessing over how to beat me at something. Shouldn't we focus on getting those problems solved before we try other things?"

"What about when problem solved? What will Airen and Shampoo be then?" The purple-haired girl pressed.

'She really wants our relationship to be defined.' Ranma thought, realizing Shampoo was no longer content to let them be whatever they were without getting it out in the open. Now she wanted a solid definite answer, not an implied one.

"After that..." He started, hoping he didn't mess this up. "I don't know, but we can at least go on real dates and that sort of thing. Have some fun without this game. Is that okay?"

"Shampoo suppose that work. But have request." She said. "We live together and no be celibate. Shampoo enjoy sleeping in your arms too too much. And when have baby again, we wed. Is okay?"

"You really think your grandmother would let us live together like that and not be married?" Ranma asked.

"Then why not marry? Why wait? What there be afraid of?" Shampoo asked.

"I... I don't know." He said, then looked around. "Mind if we leave? I'd like to go back outside again."

Shampoo nodded. "Yes, Shampoo want sunlight again. Want feel good again."

The two went to the opening and walked down a dark hallway, barely able to see anything. The hall descended at a slope, requiring them to be careful in their footing, and after a while they couldn't see anything anymore. But they did become painfully aware of another fork in the construction, painfully in that Ranma walked right into the wall without realizing it.

"Damn, we got more crap to deal with just getting _out_ of here?" He complained, rubbing his sore head.

"Great-grandaunt say game no be easy on us." Shampoo said, then randomly chose to go to the right hall. As expected, glowing words appeared on the wall, giving them some light and yet another obstacle. "Rasping scales wrap around necks, slitted eyes spot who's next. Creeping, crawling, without limb, the outcome looks evermore grim."

Unable to do anything in the dark but listen, the two martial artists stood back to back waiting for this new threat. Shampoo held onto her newly gifted spear, mainly because it was already out. 'No can use power just yet, must save for real threat.'

Above them they heard a brief hiss, and couldn't help but look up despite the darkness. All of a sudden something heavy dropped onto them both, and it grabbed ahold of them tightly.

"What the hell?" Ranma asked while instinctively grabbing the new threat. He immediately felt it was alive, and rather big and scaly. But worse of all, it was wrapping around them both. "It's a snake. A really big snake, maybe a python."

"But game already do snakes." Shampoo objected, struggling to get the python off herself.

"Then this is one big worm, just help me get it off." Ranma said, feeling compressed by the python trying to constrict around them both. Fortunately their training helped them resist some of the pressure and the fact they were together helped slow down the snake's process, but it wouldn't be long before the python had the advantage and crushed them both.

'I hope this works.' Ranma thought while reaching into one of his pockets. With some effort he succeeded and pulled out a switchblade knife, something Happosai insisted he carried at all times. 'Now I'm glad he did insist so much.' The pigtailed young man said while quickly bringing the blade up and stabbing the serpent in the side.

The python hissed in pain but it also tightened its grip, likely by reflex more than anything else. Not seeing many other options, Ranma took out the switchblade and repeatedly stabbed the python over and over again. After three more stabs the serpent loosened its grip enough for Shampoo to slip out.

"Airen, where snake head?" She asked while trying to feel for it in the darkness.

"By my ear?" He offered, judging by the hissing sound.

Shampoo moved her hands towards his voice and soon enough was able to grab the snake's neck. Feeling for his hand, she took the blade from it and used it to make a clean cut on the snake's throat. The python went into spasm in agony but she applied a harsh pressure to break the bones and ended its misery quickly. Once dead, the python uncoiled from around Ranma, freeing him and falling limply to the floor.

"Thanks Shampoo." Ranma said while enjoying being able to breathe comfortably again.

The Amazon wiped her hand of the snake blood on the walls. "Let's hope there no more threats here."

Continuing down the hall, both groaned when they came to one more bend, but this time were was no fork. It was a simple bend to the left, and down at the end they saw some light.

"That looks like the way out." Ranma said, grateful.

Moving slowly, they looked at the walls waiting to see if the temple had one last challenge for them. Unfortunately, it did.

"Buzz and fly near water's edge, between you they will drive a wedge. Your only hope is fire or flood, they aim to drink you dry of blood."

A buzzing sound was indeed soon heard, reminding them of the swarm of bees they occasionally saw in the jungle since their first encounter with the game.

"No time, run!" Ranma insisted as he grabbed Shampoo's arm and the two ran down the temple hallway as if they were trying to escape Hell itself.

They came out into the light, and saw they were indeed outside the temple and back in the jungle again. But the light revealed one thing they had forgotten, they were on the second floor of the temple.

There was a ledge on the side of the temple they could stand on, but they had been running and couldn't stop right away. They stopped themselves when each had a foot over the edge and were able to retract enough to keep from falling over, but only right away. They were unbalanced and on the edge, about to fall off any second without some leverage to support them. Sadly there was none.

'C'mon Ranma, you can balance on fences surely you can handle this.' The pigtailed boy told himself while struggling to shift his weight backwards despite the pull of gravity. Looking down he really didn't want to fall, because at the base of the temple were a lot of thorn bushes.

Spear in hand, Shampoo planted the blunt end down and used it in an effort to provide extra support for herself. So far it worked and she managed to step back more, and pull Ranma with her. Away from the threat of falling into thorns, the two sighed in relief.

"Remind me never to play board games again when this is over." Ranma said, strangely smiling now that the danger had passed.

Shampoo grinned back. "Agreed. Children no get board games either. Video games much less violent." The mentioning of their children made her lose her smile, remembering the inevitable fate of her unborn.

All of a sudden the buzzing noise had returned just as strongly as before. The two turned as a grey cloud started coming their way from the hall. Moving quickly, they went to the side of the ledge and avoided the cloud as it burst out into the open before dispersing into the jungle. Some parts of it came to them, allowing them to see what it was composed of.

Mosquitoes the size of Ranma's thumb. While not overly big, by mosquito standards they were huge. Several of these insects, not a large amount but still too many to count, came at them, and the two worked at swatting them away while trying to find a way down.

The ledge came to an end. "There's no way down without jumping." Ranma said, hitting more mosquitoes before he got bitten.

"Then jump." Shampoo said, putting a lot of strength into her legs than she leaped as far as she could. She reached for a tree and missed a branch, but she did succeed in grabbing a vine and holding it for a moment before moving onto the tree. "Airen, your turn."

Ranma braced himself, and jumped as far as he could too, grateful for all the time he spent roof-hopping before. Shampoo threw out the vine and he caught it, but because he and the vine were moving he ended up swinging past Shampoo in a very Tarzan-like manner. Luckily he chose not to jump to another vine so he swung back like a pendulum, and was grabbed by Shampoo who stopped him enough to let him get onto the tree with her.

"Any bites?" He asked.

Shampoo checked herself. "No look like it. You?"

Ranma checked himself. "I don't think so. Which is really good. Didn't Happosai say Soap was nearly killed by mosquitoes?"

Shampoo nodded. "Yes, no want that. But we have your scepter if they did. Should we use just in case?"

Ranma thought about it and shook his head. "No, Soap never said how many times we can use it. Better not waste it if we don't see any bites."

The two then proceeded to jump from tree to tree to get around the temple back to where they last saw Happosai. It was easy, no obstacle except a monkey which ran off startled by them. After a bit they got to lower branches then reached the ground, seeing the front of the temple.

Shampoo gasped, and Ranma just had wide eyes.

The campsite was trashed, like something went wild there, and Happosai was gone. Kahn looked like he had been thrown at a tree, lying down groaning in pain under a broken one. A dead rabbit was burning on a stilt over a fire.

"What happen?" Shampoo asked.

"I don't know, but maybe the spirit of the game is started to act out." Ranma said, narrowing his eyes in anger.


	26. Chapter 26 (Revised)

_I'd like to give a word of thanks to Richard Ryley, one of the most insightful writers I've spoken with on this site, who helped me see an oversight and error in the original version of this chapter. So now I present a revised version that should work better. For those of you unfamiliar with Richard Ryley, I recommend his story "The Saotome Sisters." _

Chapter Twenty-Six (Revised)

In the eastern part of Tokyo a train came to a stop, the passengers departing not moments later. Among the small crowd was Akane, who was a bit nervous stepping out on her own. She had failed to find Cologne and Mousse on her train, so right now she was completely alone.

'Now what do I do?' She asked herself, walking around to avoid getting in anyone's way by standing around for no reason. 'I mean, how do I get into the jungle? Finding it will be the easy part, but what do I do when I get in there? How do I find Ranma?' She found a bench to the side and sat down. 'When I left, it all made so much sense to me. But now that I'm here... I don't know what to do.'

She looked around and saw no familiar faces. 'I hoped I'd be able to find Cologne and Mousse and have them help me find Ranma. I don't know how to do so on my own.' She closed her eyes. 'C'mon Akane, think. It won't be that hard to track Ranma once you get inside. You found him when he snuck away to learn the Hiryu Shoten Ha, this is no different. The only problem is where do I start looking? Nerima?'

The idea of returning home gave her a good feeling. 'I can see Ranma trying to keep the jungle there as much as possible. So I should head there.'

With her resolve returned, Akane got back on her feet and decided to head west, certain she'd be able to find the jungle in no time. This stop had been the closest she could get to Nerima on still-active railways, so she had to be close.

Surprisingly, it didn't take that long to get to the edge of the jungle. But once she got there, she found a new obstacle. Between her and the unnatural environment was a fenced-off canal, and she could see alligators in the water. Signs were on the fences telling people to not approach, under orders from the JSPF. Barbed wire on fences helped reinforce their seriousness.

'Okay, clearly they want people to stay out, that I can understand. But this wouldn't stop a martial artist with a goal.' Akane thought. Being careful, she grabbed the chain-links and tore open a hole large enough for her to squeeze through then closed it from the other side. Standing on the thin section of concrete between the fence and water, Akane had to wait for the right moment to act next.

When it came, Akane did something that would surprise anyone that knew her. She jumped as far as she could and landed on one of the alligators, surprising it, and before it could respond (it probably wouldn't have since she landed hard on its head) she jumped to another then another before finally reaching the other side of the canal and official jungle territory.

"Ha, beat no one can say they've done that." Akane told herself confidently. Some growling was heard and she turned to see the alligators come at her, some with large bumps on their heads. Thinking quickly, she went off into the jungle and didn't stop until she was certain the alligators wouldn't bother following her out of the water anymore.

Akane paused for a moment and sat on a rock to rest and think, while enjoying the strange yet beautiful scenery around her. 'Okay, I'm here. Somewhere in this jungle Ranma is... I'm not exactly sure what he's doing. But even he can't be so perverted as to delay finishing the game just to spend time with Shampoo.'

A brief image flashed before her eyes of Ranma and Shampoo living like Tarzan and Jane. She quickly dismissed the thought.

'How do I actually find him? I don't want to just wander around like Ryoga does. Not to mention I could run into anything in there, what would I do then? I mean, it's not like I can just mallet an elephant or something. A monkey sure, maybe a tiger if I got lucky, but... but not everything.'

That made her remember what she had seen while the game was being played before she was forced to evacuate. She remembered how plants engulfed Furinkan, how Nabiki was assaulted by primates, how a stampede destroyed half her home, and of course the volcano that grew and burst like the world's worst pimple. Not to mention the things she hadn't seen yet, which as far as she knew could be anything.

Not liking her current train of thought, Akane shook her head as if to clear it out. 'C'mon Akane, stop be afraid. If an idiot like Ranma and a bimbo like Shampoo can handle being in the jungle surely you can too. How hard can it be? You're just over-thinking it is all.'

But despite that, she couldn't bring herself to get up and act on it. And for a moment her own thoughts betrayed her with a pang of self-criticism. 'By that logic it should be easy to shatter boulders, jump across roofs, and run on fences.'

That didn't sit well with her, as she remembered the times Ranma and Shampoo did things she could not. How they could demolish building walls in a way that would make the Big Bad Wolf green with envy. How they could hop from one building to another like some kind of pumped-up kangaroo. How balancing on a fence, a fraction the width of a balance beam, either with feet or bikes came so naturally to them.

While based on truth, Akane was at the present exaggerating the strengths of the two in mind without even realizing. The exaggerated memories made Akane angry. 'Dammit, they were just showing off. If I wanted to do all that I could easily. Maybe even better. In fact, I'll prove it. I saw Ryoga train in the Bakusai Tenketsu, I know how it's done, I can do it too. I just know it.'

Determined, Akane got up and looked for something specific. A large boulder, bigger than the rock she had been sitting on. Following an overgrown road in the jungle, what used to be a road that is, Akane was led to a cluster of large boulders. The jungle had merged with a city park so it was impossible to determine if the boulders had already been there for decoration or if the jungle somehow put them there.

"This will do." The short-haired Tendo girl checked around to ensure no one could see her at the moment, and when she was satisfied she readied herself. "The old woman said you need to hit a certain spot, one that must be a sort of obvious weak point." After inspecting it she found one point that she had a good feeling about, then hit it with all her might with her finger.

A crack was heard, but it wasn't the boulder that broke. No, that was the sound of Akane's finger bones snapping against the unyielding stone, making her scream in agony and clutch her hand, briefly applying too much pressure to the injury. No damage was left on the boulder itself.

You see, while Akane was able to break bricks, what she failed to take in mind was that she always broke them by either punching them or chopping them, never once by poking them. As a result, her knuckles and hand bones were conditioned to resist the damage of the exercise, but her fingers were not. Not to mention this boulder was bigger and thicker then any brick or cinder block she had ever destroyed.

On her knees crying, Akane asked herself all sorts of questions. 'Why didn't this work? Is my finger broken? I did everything Ryoga did. Have I gotten weaker somehow? Why can't I be as good as Ranma? Or better than Ranma? Is that so much to ask?'

Someone had heard Akane's shouts and came running to her. "Excuse me, is someone hur... Akane? What are you doing here?"

'Him?' Akane thought, recognizing the voice. She turned and saw Ryoga, someone she wasn't particularly happy to see right then. She still felt betrayed by him, and offended by his plan to get rid of Ranma in such a permanent way. "What are you doing here Ryoga?" She said with a hiss, mostly out of pain but partly due to anger.

"I'm lost. And even if I could find my home I can't go there anymore because I'm told the whole area's been turned into a jungle. I'm just glad Checkers got out of there fine and found me." He explained, referring to the black-and-white dog by his side that barked. With the dog were a few of the puppies she had the one time Akane came by the Hibiki house, now older and bigger.

Akane scoffed. "Well it's your own fault for that."

Ryoga looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Don't give me that. None of this would have happened if you hadn't brought that damn game to Ranma."

Ryoga looked even more confused. "Akane, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yeah right. Try another one P-chan." The short-haired Tendo stated defiantly.

Ryoga jerked as if struck by a mallet. "What? How do you know?"

"Ranma told me. One of the last things he was able to tell me before he... disappeared." Akane admitted. Fortunately her anger at Ryoga was dulling the pain from her broken finger.

"But... but it's _his_ fault I got cursed in the first place! You should be mad at _him_, not me! I'm the victim here!"

"Victim?" Akane repeated, strongly disagreeing with the claim. "What _victim_ takes advantage of a girl who's unaware of the curse? What _victim_ puts himself in that position knowing full well the one he blames his suffering on will add to it? What victim pretends to be someone I can trust then goes around and sneaks into my bed night after night?"

"I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you. Sometimes I did want to stop the charade. But what you're mad at me for never would have happened if Ranma hadn't pushed me into the spring to begin with." Ryoga insisted, then proceeded to tell Akane the story of how he got his curse.

"I'll bet you're just making that up." Akane said when he finished. "Just another excuse to be mad at Ranma to make yourself feel better at his expense."

"I'm not." Ryoga said. "I never would have gotten cursed if he never pushed me into that stupid spring!"

"And you never would have been there if _you_ didn't follow him to China in the first place!" Akane countered, letting more of her anger surface. "Ranma didn't make you go to China Ryoga. That was your choice. Why did you have to go? Couldn't you have just said you won the stupid duel? No one would have been able to ever prove you wrong if you did."

Ryoga looked bothered by the idea. "No real martial artist would do such a thing."

"You're no real martial artist." Akane insisted insultingly.

That remark really upset Ryoga, sending him on the start of another depression. But despite that he knew she needed his care. "How did you get hurt?"

"I tried to shatter this boulder. It shouldn't be this hard. I mean, I saw you train in the Bakusai Tenketsu. I should be able to do it too."

"Akane, that's just it. You only watched, you didn't participate." Ryoga stated, pulling out some gauze and a small splint he carried in his first aid for the unlikely chance he broke a bone himself. "Don't you remember how many times I got hit by the boulder before it finally shattered? How many times I came close to breaking my own finger? And even when it did shatter, don't you remember the debris from the blast?" He reached for her hand but she pulled away.

"Don't touch me you lying pervert." She accused, wincing a little more from the pressure she just applied to the fracture. But his words did have the intended result, Akane was now recalling the parts of his training she had momentarily overlooked. The pain on his face from the training, the explosion at point-blank range, and how the training was just as much for enduring the damage as it was for delivering it.

'I... I could have killed myself if I had actually succeeded.' Akane realized, picturing herself at the epicenter of a rocky explosion. Strong as she was, she definitely lacked the endurance to withstand that.

"Unless you want it to stay broken you're going to have to let me." Ryoga insisted, bringing her back to the present.

Stubborn as she was, Akane didn't want this to last so she held out her hand, allowing him to set the splint. "You better do it right."

"This isn't my first time setting an injury. Anyway, my point is there's a difference between watching training and actually doing it. Take Ranma and the Hiryu Shoten Ha. You don't really believe just from watching the old hag do it he suddenly could do it too do you? No, he figured out how it was done, but he still had to work on conditioning himself to perform it himself. Just like me and the Bakusai Tenketsu, Ranma works on his abilities. I may not like the guy but that doesn't mean I don't respect the work he put into getting the skills he has."

"But he makes it look so easy." Akane complained.

"That's because you're focusing too much on the end result. You forgot the preparation." Ryoga reprimanded gently.

"But I break bricks all the time." Akane stated.

"So could I, but I still had to learn the Bakusai Tenketsu before I could do it right. I didn't just hit a boulder and get what I wanted. I tried, but the result was wrong so I had to be trained to get the right result. You don't just wake up one day and decide you're an expert Akane, you've got to work at it."

Her finger and hand bandaged and set, Akane withdrew it back to herself, testing the mobility of her others fingers, which wasn't great. Making a fist with her right hand was now impossible. "Why am I even listening to you? This whole situation is your fault."

"_How_ is it my fault? The last thing I remember is dealing with getting Ranma cured of that moxibustion mark. Next thing I know I'm told Nerima has become a jungle and it's spreading. What happened?"

"Don't play innocent Ryoga, you were there. I saw you myself. You did all this because you wanted to wipe Ranma off the face of the earth." Akane told him.

"What are you talking about?" Ryoga asked.

Akane rolled her eyes. "Typical, pretending to be innocent even after being proven guilty."

"Dammit Akane listen to me!" Ryoga almost shouted, running out of patience. He now could see what Ranma meant by Akane being difficult to talk to. "There is a huge gap in my memory. One day we cured Ranma's strength problem, the next it was weeks later. Everything between then is a complete blank for me. If I did anything in that time involving this jungle I. Do. Not. Remember. It!" He made sure to emphasize his amnesia, hoping the girl he liked would listen.

"You really don't remember?" Akane asked, semi-skeptical.

"What did I just tell you?" Ryoga asked.

'I'm still not convinced, but what if he's being honest?' Akane asked herself. 'My biggest problem is there's no way to explain why he'd lose his memories. I know the Amazons can do that, but why would they? If anything they'd ask him where the game came from.' A new idea then came to her. 'Wait, what if he had been tricked? What if someone like Shampoo used some magic to take control of him and framed him to look like he set all this up so she could take Ranma away from me? And now that it's faded he can't recall anything that happened?'

Somehow that stretch of the imagination made more sense to her, mostly because it gave her some sort of explanation instead of a big question mark. Even so, it didn't undo the betrayal she felt upon learning the lost boy had been posing as her pet, taking advantage of her kindness. Listening to her private thoughts. Watching her undress for bed. Lying in her embrace while sleeping.

Everything Akane accused Ranma of trying to do to her at some point, she had pretty much invited Ryoga to partake in. And she hadn't even known it, which made her angrier. Angry at Ryoga for abusing the situation. Angry at Ranma for being silent on it possibly the entire time, no matter what excuse he could come up with. And angry at herself for not seeing it sooner when she prided herself on being smarter than Ranma if nothing else.

Nevertheless, she had to ignore that because Ryoga provided her something she desperately needed.

"Ryoga, if you're really telling the truth, then I'll tell you what happened. But first, you need to help me find Ranma. He's been in this jungle for two months and that means something's gone wrong. You're going to help me find him."

"Help Ranma? Why should I help him?" Ryoga asked, mostly for reputation. Sure he had assisted Ranma in the past, but he'd always deny it.

Akane glared at him in a way that almost made him wet himself. "Because if you don't, I'll lock your curse and leave you here. Good luck being at the bottom of the food chain P-chan." She was bluffing about the lock, but not the rest.

Despite having never been locked himself, Ryoga remembered hearing about the time Ranma had been so such a threat wasn't impossible. "Akane, it's not that easy."

"Do you want Ranma to die in here?" Akane asked, mostly to test his reaction. 'He claims he doesn't remember what happened, and therefore it's possible his desire to end Ranma's existence is gone too. But if he still feels Ranma is better off gone, then his claim of amnesia is highly questionable. Heck maybe _he's_ the reason Ranma hadn't finished the game yet.'

"Akane be realistic."

"Do you want him to die?" Akane repeated much firmer, sticking her face right in his with much fostered authority.

This particular issue was getting under Akane's skin, for two reasons. The first being that it reminded her of her own death wish she gave Ranma in the heat of the moment. Of the many things she wished she could go back in time and undo, that had to be near the top of the list. To this day she didn't know why exactly she said it, other than she was just angry over learning he had been with Shampoo for days and had lied about it. But even so, it was going too far and Ranma showed her the last time they spoke that it had really hurt him to hear that from her.

The second reason was that this whole situation really made her question Ryoga's character. She had thought the lost boy was someone she could trust, despite his gender, mostly because he had never made a direct move on her like Kuno or Ranma had. He had never tried to force her into dating him, or invited himself into her room, or spoke to her in a demeaning way. At least not in any ways she had recognized at the time. Ryoga had sort of been the exception to her rule, the kind of guy she wanted to believe existed, much like Tofu. But it turned out she was wrong, and that made her wonder exactly how wrong she had been.

'All those times he said 'Ranma prepare to die' I thought he was just venting. But was there_ some_ truth to those threats?' Akane asked herself.

"Not before I have the chance to beat him finally." Ryoga answered.

"Ryoga, I don't know what to think about you. Part of me hates you, but part of me thinks you've been used here. So if you want to avoid me hating you, you _are_ going to get me to Ranma and you are _not_ going to kill him or let him die. Is that understood?"

Akane was giving off a rather frightening aura along with that demand and it was making the lost boy panic. Heck he was tempted to pull a Genma and try a 'I'm just a harmless little pig' trick to avoid her wrath. But he wasn't about to waste his water bottle on something like that.

"Alright, I'll try. But Akane, the biggest problem is finding anything in this jungle, especially with my sense of direction. It took me four days to find one lot and several years to catch up to Ranma after that. Knowing my luck if I actually try to find Ranma I'd end up in a desert instead."

'I wonder how the Amazons intended to find them then.' Akane thought. "You're not the only one who will be looking. Besides, you do have a habit of finding Ranma by accident."

"Akane, why do you want to find him?" Ryoga asked. 'Please don't let this be the time she chooses to admit love to him. I don't think I can be a part of this if that is the case.'

"It shouldn't take two months to finish a board game. Something's gone wrong, and I can't sit around waiting to find out what that is." Akane answered.

'There's more to it than that, but at least she's not admitting love.' Ryoga thought, a glimmer of hope somehow remaining. "Alright, I'll help you. If you promise not to hold the whole P-chan thing over my head the whole time."

Akane mentally groaned. "No promises. You hurt me and I'm not about to pretend it didn't happen."

"I'm sorry, I didn't intend for it to happen." He said gloomily.

"But you sure enjoyed it while it lasted."

* * *

In another part of the jungle, Ranma and Shampoo were on a search of their own, a search for Happosai.

"Obviously he didn't go off on another of his binges. The damage in the area alone proves he was ambushed by something. It could have been anything, but my gut tells me it's that spirit Soap warned us about." Ranma thought as they followed a path of broken branches and trees, implicating something had been practically smashing the jungle apart thus creating a walkway.

"Shampoo agree. Timing seem too too strange. Good thing Great-grandaunt tell us. Temple was good thing after all."

"You mean even with the scorpions, moving statues, big snake, ants, mosquitoes, and crazy fog?" Ranma asked, then shook his head. "Yeah, you're right. It was worth it. Though I wish I got something better than this." He said as he held out his scepter.

Shampoo stopped in her tracks. "Airen, trail stops here."

Ranma looked around and put his scepter away. "You're right, there's no more damage from this point on. Did whatever this thing was fly off somehow?"

Kahn, having recovered, was sniffing the area trying to track the scent. He was no bloodhound but he was all they had. A whine revealed he lost the scent, but he looked up which made Ranma think he was right.

"It be easier to track if we knew what scent was." Shampoo said. "Maybe I become cat and see scent, then tell you Airen."

"No, with all the scents in the jungle there's no way for you to know which one to look for. Only Kahn saw what came and only he knows what to smell. If only he could talk." Ranma said, then gained a look of surprise. "Wait a minute, Shampoo, I just realized something."

"Yes?"

"You're pregnant right?"

Shampoo nodded. "Yes, Great-grandaunt say so."

"But you became a cat this morning. I always thought pregnancy locked a form. So am I wrong? Or does that mean you weren't pregnant this morning?" He asked, remembering he and Shampoo were both in their cursed forms hours ago to get rabies shots after the bat attack last night.

Shampoo looked as surprised as Ranma felt. "I... I not know. Shampoo not be with man other than you, so maybe curse... no lock forms like that."

Ranma glanced at her stomach. "Does that mean the kid's affected by your curse? Would this kid, or any kid you have, be part cat then?"

Shampoo looked down at her belly, gingerly touching it. "Not know. Great-grandmother only one to ask. Shampoo... hope baby not affected, but still love."

"Maybe it's a good thing then that this kid might never be born." Ranma softly suggested, well aware he was treading dangerous ground. "I mean, it could spend its entire life half-human half-cat, never knowing anything else. I can't imagine how that would affect it."

Shampoo shed a tear, but fortunately for Ranma she didn't explode. Instead she hugged him, not an Amazonian glomp but an affectionate hug. "Maybe Airen right. But Shampoo... feel sorry for baby. But after game over, we cure curse and then have baby. Is okay?"

"You say it as if getting the cure is easy." Ranma replied.

"It is." Shampoo said, surprising him. "We just go back to Jusenkyo and get right water. Simple."

"When?" Ranma asked.

"Anytime you ask."

"Wait, you're saying that all this time I've known you, all I had to do was go to you and ask to take me to Jusenkyo?" Ranma asked, a bit overwhelmed by the idea that all this time he had a chance for a cure he had never seen.

Shampoo nodded. "Yes, but no that easy. Shampoo get curse as punishment. You get cure anytime, but Shampoo no allowed until marry you."

Hearing that made Ranma remember something. 'Stupid, of course Cologne wouldn't let me go without marrying Shampoo first. I knew that, just forgot for that one brief moment. Maybe that's why Shampoo never mentioned it before. She wouldn't want me to say yes just to use her. I already did that with the Instant Nannichuan and that hurt her.'

A bellowing roar was heard in the distance, drawing both of them out of their conversation.

"What was that?" They said in tandem.

Following the roar was a distinctive sound of an explosion, accompanied by a follow-up roar.

"That sounded like one of the old man's Happo Fire Bursts." Ranma noted.

Without another thought, the two teens and their tiger companion charged off in the direction of the sounds. The noises got louder, and some of the animals in the jungle appeared spooked by the commotion.

"Sound like he put up good fight." Shampoo said.

"He's as mad at the game as we are. I bet he'd love to kick this spirit's ass." Ranma commented.

"Why spirit go to him when we ones playing?"

"Dunno, maybe because he was out in the open or is an older player."

While running they came to a small river where some deer had been drinking, but their arrival scared the deer off. Kahn looked tempted to chase them but wasn't hungry enough to do so yet. Shampoo was ready to jump over, but to her surprise Ranma scooped her up and carried her over while jumping himself. When he landed, he set her down.

"Airen, why do that?" Shampoo asked.

"It just felt right. You really shouldn't change too much in your condition." He told her.

"Shampoo could have made it over." She insisted with a bit of a huff.

"Still, we really should avoid you getting wet at all. What if your body can't handle the curse and the pregnancy at the same time? Couldn't that hurt you? Even kill you?" He asked.

Shampoo silently gasped. 'Body could reject baby, make miscarriage. Here in jungle, that might be fatal.'

Putting the thought aside, they soon reached where Happosai was. He didn't notice them, because he was busy running away from something while throwing firework bombs continuously. Before they could even think to question what he was attacking, they got their answer. In the form of a hulking beast.

"I really hope that's not the spirit of the game." Ranma whispered.


End file.
